Honey Walnut Old Fashioned

Recipe: Honey Walnut Old Fashioned (serves one)

• 1 1/2 oz. bourbon
• 1 (heaping) tsp. honey
• 2 dashes walnut bitters
• cinnamon stick and star anise for garnish

Mix bourbon, honey, and bitters in a glass until honey is dissolved. Add ice, cinnamon stick, and star anise.

If you start with the basic formula for the Old Fashioned — bourbon, sugar, and bitters — you can go in a lot of enticing directions. We had a variation at The Sherman featuring honey and star anise syrup. This inspired us to try making our own honey Old Fashioned, although we didn’t tackle making the spice syrup. We tried various combinations of bitters and spices, and liked this one the best. The sweet walnut bitters plus the cinnamon stick and star anise give the drink the aroma of a freshly baked cookie.