🧡 Saffron Old Fashioned

Vanilla Woodford Reserve, Apologue Saffron Liqueur, Trinity bitters & a saffron torch

Bourbon
5 min
Stirred
Old Fashioned Glass
~28%
Saffron Modern Indian Dining
Ingredients
  • 50ml Woodford Reserve Bourbon
  • 15ml Apologue Saffron Liqueur (or substitute: 10ml Cointreau + 5ml saffron syrup)
  • 2 dashes Trinity bitters (or Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel bitters)
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • Large clear ice cube
  • 5–6 whole saffron strands — for flaming garnish
  • Orange zest to express
Method
  1. 1
    BuildPlace a large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass.
  2. 2
    StirCombine bourbon, Apologue, and both bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir 30–35 seconds.
  3. 3
    StrainStrain over the ice cube.
  4. 4
    Flame saffronHold 5–6 saffron strands together, light briefly with a match (they smoulder rather than burn). The heat blooms the saffron's colour and aroma. Place burning/smouldering strands on top of the ice cube.
  5. 5
    ZestExpress an orange zest over the surface of the drink.

About This Cocktail

Apologue Saffron Liqueur is produced in Chicago using Persian (Iranian) saffron — the same variety used in Kashmiri cooking — dissolved in a neutral grain spirit with a small amount of honey. The result is a deeply saffron-flavoured liqueur with the golden colour of Kashmir crocus threads. Saffron Milwaukee uses it alongside Woodford Reserve (whose vanilla-caramel-cherry profile harmonises with saffron's floral-metallic character) and Trinity bitters (a three-botanical bitters from Milwaukee) to create an Old Fashioned that is completely distinct from any other version of the cocktail.

Variations

Rye SaffronReplace bourbon with rye whiskey — the spicier rye makes the saffron liqueur's floral notes more prominent
Amrut SaffronReplace Woodford with Amrut Indian single malt — the most appropriate spirit for a saffron Old Fashioned given both are Indian
Mezcal SaffronReplace bourbon with a lightly peated mezcal — the smoke + saffron combination is intense but extraordinary
Bartender Tips

Apologue Saffron Liqueur is available in the US (online and at specialty liquor stores). If unavailable, the saffron syrup substitute works well: steep 10 saffron strands in 50ml warm simple syrup for 30 minutes, strain, use 5ml per drink. The flamed saffron garnish should be done carefully — the strands smoulder briefly and release a beautiful floral-aromatic smoke. They die out in a few seconds without burning the drink.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
Saffron Modern Indian Dining, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Spirit
Bourbon (Woodford Reserve)
Method
Stirred
ABV
~28%
Bourbon Guide All 69 Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails (87) Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
Saffron Modern Indian Dining
Address
808 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Style
Modern Indian fine dining
Accolades
Milwaukee's premier Indian restaurant · regional cocktail innovator

Saffron Modern Indian Dining in downtown Milwaukee is a genuine anomaly — a restaurant that brings the sophistication of a major-city Indian cocktail programme to the American Midwest. The bar team works with the kitchen to create drinks that draw on the same ingredients and traditions, making Saffron one of the most complete Indian dining experiences in the country.

Visit saffronmilwaukee.com