Prompted Pours

Orchard Square

An autumnal split-base Old Fashioned where the vanilla of bourbon meets the tartness of Calvados, unified by rich maple and chocolate.

Glass
Rocks glass
Method
Stir
Ice
Large Cube
Garnish
Cinnamon stick and an expressed lemon peel
Serves
1

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Bourbon — High-rye bourbon like Four Roses Small Batch works best
  • 1 oz Calvados
  • 0.25 oz Maple syrup — Grade A Dark / Robust preferred
  • 2 dashes Chocolate bitters
  • 1.5 dashes Spicy bitters

Story

After we worked through a pure Calvados drink, I asked about combining bourbon with Calvados. You proposed this split-base “Harvest” style, shifting the sweetener to maple syrup to bridge the corn sweetness of the bourbon with the fruit of the brandy.

Method

  1. Combine bourbon, Calvados, maple syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass.
  2. Fill with ice and stir for 25–30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
  4. Express the lemon peel over the top and garnish with the cinnamon stick.

Notes

  • The lemon peel is a deliberate shift from orange — it highlights the acidity in the Calvados against the heavier bourbon.
  • “Barspoon” of maple syrup interpreted as 0.25 oz.