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Signature Cocktail

Coffee
Old-Fashioned

Every element made from the same coffee

The Philosophy

A study in singular focus where the same coffee drives every component of a classic Old-Fashioned build. The spirit is cold-infused with whole bean overnight. The bitters are made via rapid ISI infusion. The syrup is built on our standard coffee syrup framework at 1% TA. This level of acid is enough to lift and define without distracting. Spirit, bitters, syrup, all coffee. This is what the format looks like when you remove everything that isn't the coffee.

The Three Expressions

The coffee does three different things here depending on how it's extracted. In the spirit infusion, you get oils and low-solubility aromatics. In the syrup, you get the full soluble profile. In the bitters, you get a rapid, high-intensity extraction that concentrates the bitter and aromatic compounds. Same coffee, three completely different expressions.

Infused Spirit

Cold infusion captures oils and aromatics

Coffee Syrup

Full soluble profile at 1% TA

Coffee Bitters

Rapid ISI infusion for intensity

How to Make It

The Build

  1. 1.Add coffee-infused spirit, coffee syrup, and coffee bitters to a mixing glass
  2. 2.Fill with ice and stir until well-chilled and properly diluted (about 30 seconds)
  3. 3.Strain over a large rock in a rocks glass
  4. 4.Express a citrus peel over the glass, run the peel around the rim, and place or discard

Coffee-Infused Spirit

  1. 1.Weigh out 40g whole bean coffee per 1000ml of spirit
  2. 2.Combine coffee and spirit in a sealed container
  3. 3.Rest at room temperature overnight (8 to 12 hours)
  4. 4.Strain through a fine mesh strainer, then filter through a coffee filter or cheesecloth
  5. 5.Bottle and store at room temperature

Coffee Bitters

We use Ray Lam's structured coffee bitters framework. This is a pressure-infused bitter built on classic aromatic bitters logic with gentian, quassia, rhubarb, and mace. It gives this drink its backbone without muddying the coffee expression. Read Ray's full coffee bitters recipe here.

  1. 1.Keep neutral spirit in freezer until ready to use
  2. 2.Combine 350ml neutral spirit, 100g coffee (fine pour-over grind ~700 microns), 3g mace, 1.5g quassia bark, 1.5g gentian root, and 1g rhubarb root in an iSi whipper
  3. 3.Shake to saturate, charge, shake ~15 times, charge again, then rest in freezer for ~24 hours
  4. 4.Vent slowly, fine strain and press solids. Store cold with minimal headspace

Coffee Syrup

  1. 1.Brew coffee via pour-over at your target strength
  2. 2.While hot, dissolve sugar 1:1 by weight (200g coffee : 200g sugar)
  3. 3.Add acids at 1% titratable acidity using the Acid Calculator (set to Syrup mode)
  4. 4.Stir until fully incorporated, chill, and store refrigerated

"Same coffee, three completely different expressions. This is what the format looks like when you remove everything that isn't the coffee."

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