June’s Old-Fashioned

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This Louisiana twist on an Old-Fashioned combines smooth whiskey, fresh satsuma, cane syrup, and a sugarcane swizzle stick.

By Wenceslaus “June” Provost Jr.

Updated on July 26, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

June’s Old-Fashioned — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

Active Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

1

For sugarcane farmer June Provost, a celebratory drink isn’t complete without a taste of sugar. In June’s whiskey cocktail, the traditional Old-Fashioned gets an extra dash of sweetness from cane syrup and a sugarcane swizzle stick made from sugarcane stalk. June swears by local ingredients like satsumas, which grow in abundance in Louisiana, and Peychaud’s bitters, created by a Creole apothecary in New Orleans. Substitutes work for both — most important, June says, is that you’re sipping the drink surrounded by loved ones. Muddling the citrus adds a slight bitterness to balance the sugary elements. Stir well to dissolve the cane syrup, which has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the glass.

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Ingredients

1 (4- to 5-inch) peeled sugarcane stalk (or 1 sugarcane swizzle stick)
1 (1/4-inch) fresh satsuma, tangerine, or orange slice
1 large ice cube
4 ounces (1/2 cup) whiskey or bourbon (preferably Uncle Nearest or Crown Royal)
1 tablespoon cane syrup
1 maraschino cherry plus 1/2 teaspoon maraschino cherry syrup (from 1 [10-ounce] jar)
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Directions

Chill a whiskey glass until frosty and cold, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Chop sugarcane stalk into 1/2- to 1-inch-wide pieces. (Alternatively, if using a swizzle stick, trim to 4 to 5 inches long.) Set aside. Place satsuma slice in bottom of chilled glass; muddle using a cocktail muddler until juices and oils are extracted, about 10 seconds. Add ice cube to glass. Add whiskey, cane syrup, cherry and cherry syrup, and bitters; stir using a cocktail stirrer until cane syrup is fully dissolved. Place sugarcane stalk in glass. Serve immediately.