Overproof Old Fashioned

When you're making a stirred cocktail, you always want to consider how temperature and dilution will affect the final drink. For an Old Fashioned variety you want something higher proof that won't just taste like water after a couple minutes. We use Charter 101 at the bar, which is an overproof bourbon from Kentucky by Buffalo Trace, but really you can use any 101-proof bourbon. Wild Turkey 101 and Four Roses Single Barrel are a bit easier to find, and would work really well for this drink.

Ramblin' Man, from Esquire

From The Silver Dollar, Louisville, KY

• 2 oz Charter 101 bourbon
• .25 oz honey syrup*
• 1 dash Peychaud's bitters
• 4 drops Sheldon bitters**

Put 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters into an old fashioned glass and add the honey syrup and bourbon.  Stir to taste with ice, pour into a separate old fashioned glass over 3 ice cubes and garnish with Sheldon bitters (do not stir ).

* The honey syrup is 2 parts honey: 1 part water, boiled until slightly thickened.

** Sheldon Bitters are house-made sassafras bitters, with notes of cinnamon and cherry bark. You can substitute with Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic bitters or Scrappy's root-beer bitters.

See more Esquire Cocktails of the Week!

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is a Steal!

This 12-year old expression (the age statement is relegated to the back label) is bottled at full cask strength and non-chill filtered. (What does that mean? I address chill filtration here). The kicker? It's listing at an MSRP of $40, which in the current whiskey landscape (where cask strength bourbons are rare, and often go for $60 to $90) is an absolute steal. But value is about more than price, so let's pop the cork and see what's in the bottle.

Read more about Elijah Craig Barrel Bourbon on Serious Eats Drinks.

5 Essential High-Proof Cocktails

We all know how much booze warms you up. 

So it makes sense that the colder the weather, the boozier the drinks! 

Wine spritzers and sangria are great for a hot summer evening, but when you're snuggling by the fire--or radiator, for us city folk--something a smidge stronger is in order. 

Michael Dietsch, at Serious Eats--our go-to for boozy inspiration--put together a list of Five High-Proof Cocktails for winter.   Let's see what they are! 

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[Photograph: Jennifer Hess]

Higher-Proof Old-Fashioned

Take an old-fashioned glass and fill it with ice; then, splash in some simple syrup, dash in yer bitters, and add a healthy three ounces of whatever nice high-proof bourbon or rye that you can find. Then maybe add a small splash of water. George T. Stagg is a great choice if you can find it. This year's release tops out at 142.8 proof, or 71.4 alcohol by volume. Sip it slowly and savor it, and then go take a very long nap. If Stagg is intimidating or too expensive, or if you simply can't find it, there are several great options in the 100–110-proof range.

[Photograph: Jennifer Hess]

Higher-Proof Martini

Martinis made with high-proof gin kick ass, and not in just the obvious knock-you-under-the-porch way. Several brands now offer high-proof gin; depending on where you live, you may be able to find Plymouth Navy Strength, Martin Miller's Westbourne, Junipero, New York Distilling Company's Perry's Tot, or Royal Dock Gin. Even if you use a healthy amount of vermouth (I like a 4:1 ratio of gin to vermouth), you still get get a boozy cocktail with a rich flavor.

[Photograph: Jennifer Hess]

Diamondback

You build this one right, and ain't nothing in it but 100-proofers and up. Start with rye; I like Rittenhouse 100 in this. Add some applejack, preferably Laird's Bonded, also 100 proof. Finish with 110-proof green Chartreuse. Stir and strain and stand back.

[Photograph: Jennifer Hess]

Negroni / Boulevardier / Etc.

Another family of drinks that's all booze. The Negroni, of course, is gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. The Boulevardier is similar, with bourbon (or rye), vermouth, and Campari.

Another variant is the Kingston Negroni, from Death & Co. in NYC. The Kingston Negroni is even boozier than the original. It calls for Smith and Cross Jamaica Rum, a rich Navy-strength rum bottled at 57% alcohol by volume. This gets mixed with Campari and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth.

[Photograph: star5112 on Flickr]

Last Word

Another drink that capitalizes on richly herbaceous (and boozy) Chartreuse. This one blends gin (a high-proofer here will work nicely, but it's not necessary), lime juice, green Chartreuse, and maraschino liqueur.

Read more about high-proof cocktails!

About the author: Michael Dietsch approaches life with a hefty dash of bitters. He resides, physically, in Brooklyn, New York, and digitally on Twitter at @dietsch.