Boozeandinfused blog's banana infused Bourbon Old Fashioned.

A few months back G-LO from It's Just The Booze Dancing... blog (http://boozedancing.wordpress.com/) told me about this incredible blog where these nice ladies were geniuses at infusing whiskey (and other spirits) with incredible flavors - which was incredibly easy and fun. Their blog is called http://boozedandinfused.com

Now G-LO had infused some banana bourbon and that sounded like a good idea to me too. He and I and Alicia, the author of the recipe on boozeandinfused discussed how to do it and then, what you'd do with it. Alicia promised a cocktail recipe. G-LO said he was mainly drinking his straight - but ideas for some very sweet cocktails himself. In the end, however, no formal cocktail recipes came out of it. At first, after I made the bourbon, I had a sip or two - but it didn't blow my socks off by itself. Eventually I came up with the cocktail that follows. I'm not a cocktail guy - so I'll tell you right now, this is a simple whiskey Old Fashioned. Just, it is so delicious that it will make you cry. I had the idea of posting about it after seeing the following cartoon memed all over the place lately:

I ended up replying to a google+ thread that I couldn't abide by the message of this cartoon because I needed to make Manhattans and Old Fashioneds sometimes. Then I gave this recipe and I thought "I should really make this official". I've been meaning to write it down for ages.

Boozeandinfused blog's banana infused bourbon Old Fashioned

It only has 4 ingredients:

1. The banana bourbon you'll make by following the instructions here: http://boozedandinfused.com/2012/06/05/banana-bourbon/
2. Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Aphrodite Bitters This is very important. These are amazing, complex, significantly cacao flavored bitters. See http://bokersbitters.co.uk/aphrodite_ver2.html
3. Turbinado Sugar (i.e. raw cane sugar). I used this.
4. Ice

Preparation Steps

i) About a week or two before you want to have your drink cut up a few ripe bananas into a mason jar. Well cover them with whatever bourbon you choose. I used a 375ml flask of Wild Turkey 101. Allow to infuse for days or weeks. Periodically shake it to agitate.

ii) When done infusing (i.e. when it smells really really good to you) pour the whisky through some doubled up cheesecloth to strain out the solids and then decant back into the original bottle.

iii) take 1 tsp. Turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar - which is brown - but isn't "brown sugar"). I got mine at Trader Joe's. Dissolve in a few tsps of boiling water.

iv) Add a couple of ounces of your home made banana bourbon.

v) Add a few dashes of Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Aphrodite Bitters

vi) Fill with ice cubes, stir well, and enjoy.

This was so buttery rich and delicious I can't even begin to tell you. The sweetness and richness of the cane melds with the banana and bourbon like pecan pie. The cacao flavors of the Aphrodite bitters enriches and reinforces the sweet and rich and adds a needed edge that keeps it from being too sweet or cloying. It's not a chocolate-banana combo flavor like you might be thinking - although both those flavors are present (although in a bit drier form than you'd think). The Aphrodite bitters are subtle and complex - less "chocolate" than cacao nibs and herbs. Seriously. You'll thank me for this later.