![June’s Old-Fashioned](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/hFWA9xk2wUk0mDHP6n_-17I1r-o=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Junes-Old-Fashioned-FT-BLOG1222-8a001cc392394c6893a3259ecab1369c.jpg)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
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.
Ingredients
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1 (4- to 5-inch) peeled sugarcane stalk (or 1 sugarcane swizzle stick)
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1 (1/4-inch) fresh satsuma, tangerine, or orange slice
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1 large ice cube
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4 ounces (1/2 cup) whiskey or bourbon (preferably Uncle Nearest or Crown Royal)
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1 tablespoon cane syrup
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1 maraschino cherry plus 1/2 teaspoon maraschino cherry syrup (from 1 [10-ounce] jar)
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3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Directions
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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.
To Make Ahead
Keep a few whiskey glasses in the freezer so they are frosty and ready to go.