We all have favorite foods and flavors, and while I have a long list, one food flavor I have loved since a kid is banana flavor anything. I am a sucker for banana pudding, bananas foster, banana cream pie and of course banana bread. So one night in Cape Canaveral I discovered a Banana Bread Old Fashion and it was so good I had to have a second. While watching them make the second (and in the drink description) I noticed they used Basil Hayden Toast and therefore I have stuck with that base ingredient because its flavor profile of caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and toasted oak really fit well with this cocktail. The hardest part of making this cocktail (as always) is making a good banana simple syrup which is accomplished by macerating bananas in sugar for at least an hour before adding the water and simmering them for 30 minutes. This is when patience is a virtue since the flavor of the simple syrup is also key to the drink. Be patient and you will be rewarded. Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:
- Basil Hayden Toast Bourbon
- Black Walnut Bitters (e.g., Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters)
- Chocolate Bitters (e.g., Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters)
- Banana Chips
- Homemade Simple Syrup made with Turbinado Sugar (e.g., Sugar in the Raw), bananas, water, vanilla extract and Banana Liquor (see below)
- Cinnamon
Tools:
- Oxo two-sided shot glass/jigger
- Ice Cube Form (round preferred)
- Rocks Glass
- Mixing Glass
- Mixing spoon
- Squeeze Bottle
- Strainer
- Stainless steel cocktail picks
Directions:
Banana Simple Syrup
- Slice up two bananas in very thin slices and add to a saucepan.
- Macerate bananas in pan with 1 cup of Turbinado sugar for a minimum of one hour
- Add 1 cup of water and simmer for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- I then remove from heat to cool.
- Once cool add 1 tsp of Vanilla extract and 2 tsp of Banana Liquor
- Strain the simple syrup to remove solids.
- Use a funnel to transfer the strained simple syrup to a squeeze bottle and place in fridge until its needed.
Banana Bread Old Fashioned
- First make sure the night before you make large round ice cubes for the drink.
- Place round cube into rocks glass before making drink to allow it to sit while making drink. This allows it to start to melt and reduces the chance of it cracking as you pour the drink over it.
- In the bottom of your mixing glass add the following:
- 2 ½ oz of Basil Haden Toast
- ¾ ounce Banana Simple Syrup
- 4-5 dashes of Black Walnut Bitters
- 4-5 dashes of Chocolate Bitters
- Once all ingredients added stir cocktail for 10 seconds using mixing spoon. I don’t use ice so as to not dilute the drink and loose the banana flavor.
- Pour into rocks glass.
- Put a light dusting of cinnamon on top (optional) and Garnish with Banana Chips and enjoy!!!
Disclosure:
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The items shown above are just suggestions/examples and each consumer should do their own research and choose the proper product that suits their needs the best.
