When you’re looking for a place to unwind at the end of a long week, it’s hard to beat relaxing with good food, great friends, and maybe a strong cocktail. Or two.

If you’re in the mood to venture out a bit, but still want to stick with a staple, a smokey spin on a classic cocktail sounds like the perfect choice. And there’s no better one to try than the Smoked Old Fashioned at SoHo Standard in Homewood. Made by restaurant owner Taylor Hughes, the drink features high quality bourbon, made locally in Alabama at John Emerald Distilling Company (Opelika).

While nearly all cocktails at SoHo Standard are made with John Emerald spirits, their Smoked Old Fashioned uses the Purveyor’s Series Double Oak Bourbon, which is a barrel-aged bourbon finished on toasted American White Oak Chips: A classic taste, with a little roundness added to make a superb tasting Old Fashioned.

Before mixing the drink, Taylor smokes fresh rosemary and a blood orange peel under a glass. While it sits and gets all… well… smokey, he pours two ounces of the John Emerald Double Oak Bourbon, followed by homemade simple syrup, cherry bitters, and a dash of blood orange bitters. After mixing it all together, he strains it into a glass over a large sphere of ice. He completes the cocktail with a smoked rosemary garnish that you can practically smell from here.

Simple and classic with the slightest smokey twist, you’ll unwind from a long week with this Smoked Old Fashioned cocktail, featuring John Emerald Double Oak Bourbon. Bottom’s up!

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Fresh rosemary

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Blood orange peel

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Two ounces of the John Emerald Double Oak Bourbon

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Homemade simple syrup

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Cherry bitters

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Dash of blood orange bitters

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