Fair Old Fashioned

I love companies that contribute their way back into the world, and Flor de Caña does this by following the Fair Trade certification practices to ensure they have a minimal footprint on the earth. There certainly aren’t many products that can claim to be aged at the base of an active volcano, yet here is one. It is said that this location, under the shadow of the San Cristobal volcano, combined with the characteristics of the ex-bourbon barrels used in the process, contributes to the slow, uninterrupted aging process of the rums. And with more than 125 years of experience, they certainly know how to make some great rum.

For this Fair Old Fashioned, we searched for ingredients that were also Fair Trade certified, and our quest started with the tea. Once we found a great citrus spice tea, we needed something to balance out the flavors and aromas, and our search led us to a delicious organic honey that worked perfectly. We thinned out the honey and the cocktail turned out delicious, and we just wanted to add one last component. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any bitters that fit the theme, but we really wanted something that would round out the cocktail and give it that little something it needed. We settled on some chamomile bitters from a company in Atlanta and our cocktail was ready to be served.

Recipe:

• 2 ounces Flor de Caña 12 year (Fair Trade Certified)
• 1 ounce of citrus spice tea (Fair Trade Certified)
• ¾ ounce of honey water (Fair Trade Certified)
• 2-3 dashes chamomile bitters

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice
2. Stir to chill and combine ingredients
3. Strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice (ice sphere preferred for slow dilution)
4. Garnish with a fresh lemon slice and dry tea
5. Smoke tea for added aromatics
6. Remove lemon and tea before sipping
7. Enjoy!