Original Recipe: The Upton Abbey
My sources tell me that Downton Abbey season three begins this weekend. Coincidentally, I developed this cocktail at an Abbey-themed New Year’s Eve party, in part trying to capture the spirit of the era (and using liquor common in 1910s England), in part trying to take advantage of spirits available on hand at our host’s house.
The result, a spin on an Old Fashioned, is actually quite delicious. See what you think. Get more Downton Abbey cocktails here from TheKitchn.
The Upton Abbey
3/4 oz. Irish whiskey
3/4 oz. dark rum
1/4 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters
Shake all with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a generous Meyer lemon twist.
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Chris, I just whipped this thing up with a normal lemon twist, Bushmills, and Havana Club 7(just nabbed from Nassau over the holiday break!).
Overall a very dry drink. I’m getting a fairly tannic sip (though I may have put a dash too many of the Fee’s.) The lemon and bitters combine into a flavor that’s almost like orange oil. I’m also getting notes of cola and tea.
I’m a rum guy, and I don’t mix often with Irish whiskey. I may be biased, but it feels like the rum is overpowering the whiskey and the whiskey is diluting the rum. Anyway, I enjoyed it!
DJ – I expect the brands of liquors used (especially the rum) will make a difference. I believe I was using Jameson and Barcelo 7 Year. The idea was also to make a bit of an “old timey” drink, too — the orange oil actually sounds pretty spot on!
Ah very good. I’m a fan of Barcelo. It sounds like you hit your mark on the drink, then!
Thinking back on it, it’s not unlike the old British punches, the kind that used bold spirits like Scotch whisky and Jamaican rum, but combining them in a way so that they (and the other punch ingredients) temper each other, as opposed to reinforcing all their bold flavors.