One Easy Swap Transforms Traditional Old Fashioned Cocktails Into A Classic Fall Treat

In its most traditional form, the old fashioned is a cocktail is a simple combination of spirit, sweetener, and bitters that's served over ice and garnished with an aromatic twist of orange peel. The simplicity is undoubtedly why it has so effectively stood the test of time, with its variants and forebears gracing bar menus since the early 1800s. But old fashioned doesn't mean immune to improvement. Just as it may have once been more common for such a drink to be made with brandy rather than bourbon, so too can the other ingredients be carefully replaced. For an autumnal take, maple syrup may just be the perfect tweak.

Replacing the traditional sugar with maple syrup is one of the simplest swaps to enhance an old fashioned, explained Curtis McMillan, the creative director of talent and beverage at The Down Low Cocktail Club, in an interview with Tasting Table. "Without ruining what makes an old fashioned an old fashioned, you have to focus on its core ingredients and think of them like parts of a song," he noted. "Small changes create an entirely new sound."

It may not seem like much, but switching out a purely sweet ingredient for one with its own array of aromatic notes gives the drink an entirely new timbre. Another cocktail expert in favor of this autumnal take is Chris Walster, whiskey connoisseur at The Cask Connoisseur. As he revealed when offering some old fashioned cocktail tips, "Maple syrup [provides] a richer, more complex sweetness that pairs beautifully with the bourbon's caramel notes."

In addition to adding layers of complementary flavor, using maple syrup in an old fashioned actually makes the mixing easier as well. A traditional preparation with a bitters-soaked sugar cube requires a bit of muddling to dissolve the granulated sweetener. With a maple syrup-based old fashioned recipe, on the other hand, the sweetener is already liquid, so it can be quickly and easily stirred into solution.

Maple syrup is an excellent trick to bring the feeling of fall to this classic cocktail, but just like the layered flavors of the drink itself, there are potential layers to the autumnal aromatics. To add another note of the season, incorporate a sprinkle of warm spice into the mixing and muddling, or garnish the drink with a cinnamon stick. For a punchier autumn aroma, consider making an old fashioned cocktail with pumpkin spice simple syrup. A spiced simple syrup offers all the same benefits as its maple-based cousin in that it makes the drink easier to mix even while building in layers of aromatic decadence. For the best of both, try infusing a bit of maple syrup with pumpkin spice.

After tasting the effects of this substitution, don't be surprised if suddenly you think that maybe maple syrup belongs in other bourbon cocktails as well. Maple is always an excellent complement to the sweet, oaky vanillas and caramels of bourbon. It is a good fit for an old fashioned, but it works in a whiskey sour too. Although this cocktail rarely pushes the ingredient envelope, even a Manhattan can benefit from a maple syrup upgrade. For now, though, perhaps start with this Don Draper-style maple old fashioned: