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The Courting Rachel (Smoked Old Fashioned)
Named in honor of the wife of Andrew Jackson (whose nickname was Old Hickory), this punched-up Old Fashioned developed by mixologist Andrew Bohrer of Seattle's Mistral Kitchen gets a rich kick from rye simple syrup and hickory smoke. Bohrer serves it over a single large ice cube which he carves barside to resemble a diamond; if you're not an adept ice-carver, any large-sized ice will do.
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Credit: Helen Rosner
1/4 oz rye whiskey simple syrup
Peychaud's bitters
Over ice, stir together bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters.
Fill a stoppered decanter (or another sealable container, like a lidded pitcher or jar) with fresh hickory smoke from a handheld food smoker (like PolyScience's Smoking Gun). Strain in the cocktail, seal the decanter, and swirl for one minute. Pour the drink out over ice; serve.
MAKES ONE COCKTAIL
See a step-by-step guide to making this cocktail in the gallery »
 Recipe - Saveur.com){kind=link}