This Maple Old Fashioned Is the Perfect Ready-to-Drink Cocktail for Drinkers With a Sweet Tooth

(Photo: Slow & Low)

‘Tis the season for family meals, comfy sweaters and a hearty, full-bodied cocktail to hunker down with by the fireplace. In other words, it’s time to break out the Old Fashioneds.

Liquor stores have been blessed with a veritable mountain of pre-batched cocktails over the past few years. Having tried our fair share of the options, we’d argue that the key ingredient isn’t the brand, but its dedication to the basics. For the Negroni, you’re looking for a drink that can nail the equal-parts ratio of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari without a teaspoon of extra fluff. For the Margarita, an excellent tequila is just as important as a fresh squeeze of lime juice — much easier said than done in a canned format.

When it comes to the Old Fashioned, a high-quality whiskey is paramount. This is not a cocktail that works with a run-of-the-mill splash of mixer, nor is it one that leaves much wiggle room between the truly awful and the gobsmackingly delicious. Because of this, many of the category’s best offerings come from brands that have already staked their reputation in the whiskey space. Yellowstone Cocktails Old Fashioned comes to mind as a reliable example, as does Penelope Black Walnut for those in search of something warm and toasty. And of course, if you’re interested in dropping $150, there’s Hoste’s wonderful Gold Fashioned.

Hochstadter’s, a centuries-old, union-strong distillery based in Philadelphia, has perfected the concept with a flair for experimentation. The distiller has released not one but five twists on the recipe under its Slow & Low imprint, all made with its in-house rye whiskey. The brand specializes in fully-flavored, if decidedly sweet drinks, the kind that taste like Thanksgiving and Halloween bundled into the same glass. Personal favorites include a Coffee Old Fashioned rich with baking spice and a Rock & Rye that dials up the candied orange peel influences to 11.

When we heard that a Slow & Low Maple Old-Fashioned was right around the corner, it sounded like a match made in heaven.

The brand recruited help from Crown Maple, a certified organic maple syrup company that taps trees on an 800-acre estate spanning stretches of the Hudson Valley and Western Vermont. Its products lean toward the premium side of the syrup spectrum, costing around $20 per bottle, up to as much as $35 for bourbon barrel-aged collaborations with the likes of Widow Jane.

Slow & Low collaborated with the team on a 40%-ABV cocktail now available at a suggested retail price of $29.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. At first whiff, you can tell the syrup was applied with a heavy pour. The cork opens with unmistakable aromas of maple, rye spice, marzipan and a tannic note we’d liken to sweet vermouth.

The palate delivers on that promise and then some. Maple syrup zig zags in every direction, coating the palate in a thick, voluminous mouthfeel reminiscent of a whiskey liqueur (the good kind). Hidden within is a big roasted walnut note and hints of fig jam slathered on toasted bread. Much like the brand’s Rock & Rye, this is a totally sweet cocktail from beginning to finish. Thankfully, though, it leaves just enough room for the rye whiskey to shine through. Spicy flecks of nutmeg, malt and allspice add a welcome levity, cutting through the finish alongside a whole lot more of that characteristic maple sweetness.

If you enjoy those leaf-shaped, crystalized maple candies found at the local farmer’s market, then this Old Fashioned should be a slam dunk. Our only suggestion: Pour this onto an oversized ice cube and let it sit for a few minutes. It may only be bottled at a modest 40% ABV, but its flavor is punchy enough to demand dilution.

Read Our Full Review of Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Maple Old Fashioned.