Toast of the Town: the Cosmopolitan's Chai-Infused Old Fashioned

There's a good chance that the Old Fashioned was your grandfather’s favorite cocktail—and maybe it was even his grandfather's favorite, too. However, even classics can benefit from a bit of reinvention, or so say the frequenters of The Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel, where property mixologist Mariena Mercer has been whipping up chai-infused versions of the stand-by.

“I use a 12-year-old rum that’s been aged in a bourbon barrel, and it kind of has a bit of that bourbon essence to it,” said property mixologist Mariena Mercer. “A typical Old Fashioned would have sugar, but I made this with an ancho chai masala tea syrup and cardamom, and different herbs that really blend well with rum. I also use an amaro meletti (Italian liqueur) with lots of saffron and anise, and the mole bitters coalesce all the flavors. It brings chocolate, chili, and cinnamon, and so it’s something that people are familiar with, but reinvented.” The recipe, below:

2 oz. El Dorado 12 year Rum

½ oz. Ancho Chai Masala Tea Syrup

½ oz. Amaro Meletti

2 dashes Xocatl Mole Bitters

Muddled orange slice and cherry

Luxardo Maraschino Cherry (garnish)

Orange swath (garnish)

Method

In a mixing glass, muddle an orange slice and cherry with the tea syrup. Add remaining spirits and ice and stir with bar spoon. Strain over fresh ice into a glass.