Bourbon + Jalapeño + Chocolate: A Match Made in Heaven?

🔥 Ready to spice up your bourbon collection with a bold, spirit-forward twist on a classic? Welcome to Episode 82 of Thirsty Thursday Cocktails on Your Bourbon Journey with Rebecca! Tonight, we’re pouring The Cinnamon Trail Old Fashioned—a fiery, complex Old Fashioned riff that combines heavy-oak bourbon, vintage liqueur heat, and rich Mexican chocolate vibes.

We anchor this build with a 110-proof Private Selection of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon, bringing serious muscle, caramel, and Wild Turkey rye spice. For a unique modifier, we feature a rare find from Revival Vintage Spirits: Gaetano Jalapeño Liqueur (1984). While it smells like fresh cut peppers, it tastes like high-end cinnamon Red Hots! Balanced with Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup and a dash each of Aztec Chocolate & Mole Bitters, this cocktail takes your palate on an incredible journey.

🔮 NEXT WEEK: Tune in for Episode 83: The High Desert Manhattan—a dry, earthy twist pairing high-rye bourbon with Cynar 70 and prickly pear!

Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more weekly bourbon cocktail recipes! Always drink responsibly. Cheers! 🥂

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Revival Vintage Spirits https://revivalky.com/ 

📋 THE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS

Ingredients:

  • 2.0 oz Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon (110 Proof)
  • 0.25 oz Gaetano Jalapeño Liqueur (1984 Vintage)
  • 0.25 oz Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
  • 2 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
  • 1 dash Fee Brothers Mole Bitters

Method & Assembly:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir for 25–30 seconds until well-chilled and properly diluted.
  3. Strain into a Double Rocks Glass over a single large ice cube.
  4. Express fresh orange peel oils over the top and drop the peel into the glass.

TASTING PROFILE

  • Aroma: Fresh, pepper-forward top notes shifting into warm baking spices, rich maple, toasted oak, and bright orange oils.
  • Taste: Bold caramel and sweet maple give way to a lively spike of cinnamon Red Hots, quickly balanced by dark cocoa and savory mole spices.
  • Finish: Long, warming, and comforting—lingering notes of charred oak, dark chocolate, and a gentle cinnamon glow.

🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨

NOTE: The spirits and items in this review were purchased by us. We were not compensated by the producers for this review. 

#OldFashioned #BourbonCocktail #RussellsReserve #BourbonJourney #ThirstyThursday #CocktailRecipe #SpicyCocktail #VintageSpirits #Mixology #CraftCocktails #Bourbon #WhiskeyGram #CocktailHour #MexicanChocolate #WildTurkey

Crafting the Ultimate Spicy Old Fashioned with Cherry Wood Smoke

Welcome to Episode 80 of Thirsty Thursday Cocktails on Your Bourbon Journey! 

Tonight, Rebecca crafts the Chile & Spice Old Fashioned—a rich, savory, and slightly smoky cocktail built specifically for mid-summer evenings.

We are pairing high-proof, high-rye bourbon muscle with authentic earthy pepper heat, juicy stone fruit, and a fragrant cloud of cherry wood smoke.

Stir one up with us tonight, and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Please drink responsibly.

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📋 THE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS

Chile & Spice Old Fashioned

  • 2.0 oz Old Grand-Dad 114 7-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
  • 0.5 oz Chicago Dogma Amargo De Chile
  • 0.33 oz Demerara Syrup
  • 2 dashes Fee Brothers Plum Cocktail Bitters
  • Garnish: Expressed orange peel
  • Smoke: Cherry wood chips

Instructions:

  1. Combine all liquid ingredients into a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir for approximately 25 seconds until thoroughly chilled and diluted.
  3. Strain over a large clear ice cube into a rocks glass.
  4. Express fresh orange peel oils over the surface.
  5. Apply the cocktail smoking kit with cherry wood chips right before serving, trapping the smoke under a cloche for presentation.

🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨

NOTE: The spirits and items in this review were purchased by us. We were not compensated by the producers for this review. 

#Bourbon #OldFashioned #SmokedCocktail #WhiskeyCocktails #OldGrandDad114 #CraftCocktails #CocktailRecipe #ThirstyThursday #BourbonJourney #Mixology #Amaro #AmargoDeChile #BourbonLovers #SmokedOldFashioned #Whiskey

The Velvet Root: A Sophisticated Root Beer Black Manhattan

Experience a masterclass in “dark” flavors with The Velvet Root, a sophisticated, spirit-forward twist on the classic Black Manhattan. In Episode 70 of Thirsty Thursday Cocktails, Rebecca from Your Bourbon Journey breaks down this rich, earthy drink that balances the heavy-hitting Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon with the nostalgic botanical notes of Root Beer Whiskey.

Whether you love a traditional Manhattan or you’re looking for a cocktail with notes of charred oak, leather, and sarsaparilla, this recipe is for you. We dive deep into why the Averna Amaro provides that signature Sicilian silkiness and how a few dashes of molasses bitters create a savory, dark-sugar backbone that lingers on the finish.

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The Velvet Root Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon
  • .75 oz Amaro Averna
  • .50 oz Rebel Root Beer Whiskey
  • 3 Dashes Molasses Bitters
  • 1 Dash Orange Bitters
  • Garnish: Luxardo Cherry

Instructions:

  1. Combine: Add the bourbon, amaro, root beer whiskey, and both bitters into a mixing glass.
  2. Chill: Fill the mixing glass with plenty of ice.
  3. Stir: Stir for 20–30 seconds until the glass is frosted and the drink is properly diluted.
  4. Strain: Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  5. Finish: Drop in a single Luxardo cherry and enjoy!

🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨

NOTE: The spirits and items in this review were purchased by us. We were not compensated by the producers for this review. Please drink responsibly.

#BlackManhattan #BourbonCocktails #KnobCreek #Mixology #HomeBartender #ThirstyThursday #WhiskeyGram #AmaroAverna #CocktailRecipe #RootBeerWhiskey #BourbonJourney #ClassicCocktails #ManhattanTwist #DrinkResponsibly #CraftCocktails