TL;DR: The Dry Shot Old Fashioned is a non-alcoholic Old Fashioned made with Dry Shot Spiced Vanilla Spirit, demerara simple syrup, and aromatic bitters, stirred 30 seconds over ice and strained onto a single large cube. It replicates the temperature, dilution, and aromatic structure of a classic whiskey Old Fashioned without alcohol. Kava's calming effect activates within 15–20 minutes. Ready in 5 minutes. Serves one.
Demerara syrup, two dashes of aromatic bitters, and the Spiced Vanilla Spirit stirred over a single large cube until cold and slightly diluted and the vanilla comes through clean on the finish. Orange peel over the top. This is the drink that answers the question of what goes in an Old Fashioned glass when you're not pouring whiskey.
The Old Fashioned is the oldest cocktail template: spirit, sugar, bitters, dilution. What makes a Spiced Vanilla kava spirit work here is that it has the weight and warmth to hold the structure. Watery spirits fall apart in stirred cocktails — they dilute too fast and the flavor disappears. The Spiced Vanilla Spirit has enough depth to still be present after 30 seconds of stirring over ice. That's the whole test.
What is demerara syrup and why use it instead of simple syrup?
Demerara syrup is made with demerara cane sugar — raw, minimally processed, with a natural molasses note that white sugar doesn't have. In a cocktail built around vanilla and dark spice, that molasses depth is the right sweetener. Make it 2:1 — two parts demerara sugar to one part water, dissolved over low heat. It's thicker and richer than standard simple syrup and it integrates better into a stirred drink.
Serves 1 · Prep 5 min · Glass Rocks
What you need
- 2 oz Dry Shot Spiced Vanilla Spirit
- ¼ oz demerara simple syrup (2 parts demerara sugar to 1 part water)
- 2 dashes non-alcoholic aromatic bitters (Scrappy's or equivalent)
- Ice for stirring
- Large single ice cube for serving
- Wide orange peel and a cocktail cherry to garnish
How to make it
- Add the spirit, demerara syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass.
- Add plenty of ice and stir for 30 full seconds. The stirring is the recipe.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube.
- Hold the orange peel skin-side down over the glass and bend it sharply to express the oils. Run the peel around the rim and drop it in.
- Add the cherry.
Note: Demerara syrup made at 2:1 holds in the fridge for a month. Make a batch — it's worth having on hand.
Made with Dry Shot Spiced Vanilla Spirit — rich vanilla and dark spice, works wherever whiskey goes. Shop the Spirit→