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Cocktail History
The Oatmeal Stout Old Fashioned is a modern cocktail that was created by Jon and Lindsay Yeager in Nashville, Tennessee and was first published in their book The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze. It uses the familiar Old Fashioned template of whiskey, a sweetener, bitters, and citrus, but this version swaps out most of the simple syrup for oatmeal stout and replaces the classic’s aromatic bitters with walnut bitters.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Oatmeal Stout: This is a type of beer made with oatmeal, English hops, malted barley, yeast, sugar, and water. We used Samuel Smith Old Brewery Oatmeal Stout because it has a rich malty flavor with dessert notes.
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. We used Wild Turkey 101 Straight Bourbon Whiskey because it has a deep oaky whiskey flavor. For a low-proof version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Black Walnut Bitters: This is a food product made with black walnuts, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Fee Brothers Bitters Black Walnut Bitters.
Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Bottle Opener: This is used to open bottles. We used the OXO Steel Bottle Opener.
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Oatmeal Stout Old Fashioned starts with sweet orange zest aromas and follows with a dark, moody taste comprised of malty oatmeal stout that is accented with the sweetness of rich bourbon, and it finishes with the same flavors lingering alongside a bit of nuttiness on the aftertaste.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Amazingly, we both truly loved this drink, and even though Alex typically prefers the classic recipe and Kendall isn’t usually a big fan of this type of beer, the great mingling of flavors and variety the recipe offers makes it worth making at home or requesting in a bar.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As someone who loves the Old Fashioned and a casually enjoys dark beer, this was a nice mingling of the two worlds. Oatmeal Stout serves as the base and lends most of the sweetness to the drink, while a bit of whiskey fortifies the recipe with its heavy flavor and oakiness. The original recipe in the book called for just beer and bitters, but we thought a splash of bourbon and an even smaller dab of syrup would amplify all of the flavors, and it would dial up the ‘Old Fashioned’ factor. We were pleased with how correct we were.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’m not big on drinking the classic Old Fashioned… yet. I say ‘yet’ because I think I’m getting there and do enjoy a more complex variation of them from time to time, especially in the winter months. This beer-based ode to the iconic template is very well made, in my opinion. You may raise an eyebrow at the idea of using a dark stout in place of most of the whiskey, but it works surprisingly well. And the nutty bitters are a nice touch of complexity. I really liked this drink and do think it’s worth a try!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze by on and Lindsay Yeager.
Add bourbon, bitters, simple syrup, and cracked ice to a lowball glass.
Top with beer.
Stir for 5-10 seconds.
Express orange twist over top.
Garnish with orange twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add bourbon, bitters, simple syrup, and cracked ice to a lowball glass.
Top with beer.
Stir for 5-10 seconds.
Express orange twist over top.
Garnish with orange twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey to try a low-proof version of this drink.
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More Beer Cocktails
If you like this beer-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Calico Tea: A barleywine ale and apple brandy cocktail made with lemon juice, sage black tea syrup, Angostura aromatic bitters, and sage leaves
Stout Sangaree: A Irish stout beer and port wine cocktail made with nutmeg
The Rosenthal: A barleywine ale and cachaça cocktail made with simple syrup, lime, and a lime slice
Sicilian Pour Over: A coffee stout beer cocktail made with Amaro Montenegro, cardamom bitters, and an orange peel
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