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Cocktail History
The Oatmeal Stout Old Fashioned is a modern cocktail that was created by Jon and Lindsay Yeager in Nashville, Tennessee and was first published in their book The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze. It uses the familiar Old Fashioned template of whiskey, a sweetener, bitters, and citrus, but this version swaps out most of the simple syrup for oatmeal stout and replaces the classic’s aromatic bitters with walnut bitters.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Oatmeal Stout: This is a type of beer made with oatmeal, English hops, malted barley, yeast, sugar, and water. I used Samuel Smith Old Brewery Oatmeal Stout.
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. I used Wild Turkey 101 Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.
Black Walnut Bitters: This is a food product made with black walnuts, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Fee Brothers Bitters Black Walnut Bitters.
Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Bottle Opener: This is used to open bottles. I used the OXO Steel Bottle Opener.
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Dark almost black-brown color
• Aroma: Sweet orange zest
• Taste: Moody taste of malty oatmeal stout accented with sweet and rich bourbon
• Finish: More maltiness with a bit of nuttiness
Kendall’s Take: “I’m not big on drinking the classic Old Fashioned… yet. I say ‘yet’ because I think I’m getting there and do enjoy a more complex variation of them from time to time, especially in the fall and winter months. This beer-based ode to the iconic template is very well made, in my opinion. You may raise an eyebrow at the idea of using a dark stout in place of most of the whiskey, but it works surprisingly well. And the nutty bitters are a nice touch of complexity. I really liked the Oatmeal Stout Old Fashioned and do think it’s worth a try!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze by Jon and Lindsay Yeager.
Oatmeal Stout Old Fashioned
Description
The Oatmeal Stout Old Fashioned is a modern cocktail that was created by Jon and Lindsay Yeager in Nashville, Tennessee and was first published in their book The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze. It uses the familiar Old Fashioned template of whiskey, a sweetener, bitters, and citrus, but this version swaps out most of the simple syrup for oatmeal stout and replaces the classic’s aromatic bitters with walnut bitters.
Ingredients
Method
Add bourbon, bitters, and simple syrup to a mixing glass.
Fill mixing glass with cubed ice.
Using a bar spoon, stir for 30-45 seconds until well-chilled and slightly diluted.
Add fresh cracked ice to a lowball glass.
Using a julep strainer, strain into lowball glass.
Top with beer.
Express orange twist over top of glass.
Garnish with orange twist.
