Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
The Ortega Old Fashioned from Bar Leone — officially named the World’s Best Bar 2025 — proves that world-class cocktails don’t need to be overly technical or complicated. Sometimes, the best drinks come from balance, intention, and a deep understanding of flavor.
SHOP YOU KLARIS ICE MAKER HERE ➡️
craftklaris.com/discount/TOTR10?redirect=/products/klaris-clear-ice-maker
DON'T FORGET THE PROMO CODE FOR YOUR 1O% DISCOUNT ➡️ TOTR10
FREE COCKTAIL BIBLE V.2 ➡️ https://totr.ck.page/3308168d16
TRY STEVE THE BARTENDER BITTERS ➡️ https://shop.stevethebartender.com.au/?ref=TOTR10
USE MY CODE TOTR10 FOR 10% OFF
JOIN OUR PATREON ➡️ patreon.com/totr?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
MY TOP COCKTAIL GEAR
Shaker geni.us/9rmIH
Mixing Glass geni.us/FF5HFJ
Strainer geni.us/BjWZ
Jigger geni.us/NcdVTO
Crushed Ice Kit geni.us/pv4m
Bitter Bottles geni.us/5OAx8
MY VIDEO / PHOTO GEAR
A Camera geni.us/PoZ9z96
B Camera geni.us/3CqyYBt
Main Light (America) geni.us/NgnD
Main Light (Europe) geni.us/HN1IbO
B Light geni.us/wX9q
Tripod geni.us/5oteL
Reflector and diffuser geni.us/miXF6
Speed Lights geni.us/iOJ1
Soft boxes
geni.us/y2Fbmk
geni.us/I777
My Smoke Top ➡️ middletonmixology.com/?ref=ebuynh0sfe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
In Episode 2 of my World’s Best Bars Cocktails series, I recreate the Ortega Old Fashioned created by Lorenzo Antinori, one of the most respected bartenders in the modern cocktail world. Known for his “Cocktail Popolari” philosophy, Lorenzo focuses on approachable, delicious cocktails without unnecessary fuss or pretentious techniques.
This cocktail combines bourbon, Calvados, Ancho Reyes Verde, chocolate bitters, and an incredible honey-date syrup for a rich, warming, subtly smoky Old Fashioned variation that’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
If you’ve ever wondered what cocktails at the world’s best bar actually taste like — this is your chance to find out.
🥃 ORTEGA OLD FASHIONED RECIPE
• 1 oz (30 ml) bourbon
• 1 oz (30 ml) Calvados
• 0.3 oz (10 ml) honey-date syrup
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Ancho Reyes Verde
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters
🍯 HONEY-DATE SYRUP
Combine in a sous-vide bag:
• 300 g honey
• 100 g water
• 30 g pitted dates
Cook sous-vide at 60°C (140°F) for 1 hour, mixing once or twice during the process.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the dates gently to extract as much syrup as possible.
Finish with:
• 0.5 g orange blossom water
• A generous pinch of salt
Lorenzo uses honey dates and lychee honey sourced near the bar in Hong Kong, but Medjool dates and any high-quality floral honey work beautifully as substitutes.
If you enjoy cocktails, bartending, mixology, Old Fashioned riffs, or learning recipes from the world’s best cocktail bars, make sure to subscribe for more episodes in this series.
#Cocktails #OldFashioned #BarLeone #WorldsBestBar #Mixology #BourbonCocktail #Calvados #Bartending #CocktailRecipe #HomeBartender
Rejoignez cette chaîne pour bénéficier d'avantages exclusifs :
youtube.com/channel/UCbpv0BMQJ6ZGTZ2hj1meeWA/join
The Ortega Old Fashioned from Bar Leone — officially named the World’s Best Bar 2025 — proves that world-class cocktails don’t need to be overly technical or complicated. Sometimes, the best drinks come from balance, intention, and a deep understanding of flavor.
SHOP YOU KLARIS ICE MAKER HERE ➡️
craftklaris.com/discount/TOTR10?redirect=/products/klaris-clear-ice-maker
DON'T FORGET THE PROMO CODE FOR YOUR 1O% DISCOUNT ➡️ TOTR10
FREE COCKTAIL BIBLE V.2 ➡️ https://totr.ck.page/3308168d16
TRY STEVE THE BARTENDER BITTERS ➡️ https://shop.stevethebartender.com.au/?ref=TOTR10
USE MY CODE TOTR10 FOR 10% OFF
JOIN OUR PATREON ➡️ patreon.com/totr?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
MY TOP COCKTAIL GEAR
Shaker geni.us/9rmIH
Mixing Glass geni.us/FF5HFJ
Strainer geni.us/BjWZ
Jigger geni.us/NcdVTO
Crushed Ice Kit geni.us/pv4m
Bitter Bottles geni.us/5OAx8
MY VIDEO / PHOTO GEAR
A Camera geni.us/PoZ9z96
B Camera geni.us/3CqyYBt
Main Light (America) geni.us/NgnD
Main Light (Europe) geni.us/HN1IbO
B Light geni.us/wX9q
Tripod geni.us/5oteL
Reflector and diffuser geni.us/miXF6
Speed Lights geni.us/iOJ1
Soft boxes
geni.us/y2Fbmk
geni.us/I777
My Smoke Top ➡️ middletonmixology.com/?ref=ebuynh0sfe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
In Episode 2 of my World’s Best Bars Cocktails series, I recreate the Ortega Old Fashioned created by Lorenzo Antinori, one of the most respected bartenders in the modern cocktail world. Known for his “Cocktail Popolari” philosophy, Lorenzo focuses on approachable, delicious cocktails without unnecessary fuss or pretentious techniques.
This cocktail combines bourbon, Calvados, Ancho Reyes Verde, chocolate bitters, and an incredible honey-date syrup for a rich, warming, subtly smoky Old Fashioned variation that’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
If you’ve ever wondered what cocktails at the world’s best bar actually taste like — this is your chance to find out.
🥃 ORTEGA OLD FASHIONED RECIPE
• 1 oz (30 ml) bourbon
• 1 oz (30 ml) Calvados
• 0.3 oz (10 ml) honey-date syrup
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Ancho Reyes Verde
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters
🍯 HONEY-DATE SYRUP
Combine in a sous-vide bag:
• 300 g honey
• 100 g water
• 30 g pitted dates
Cook sous-vide at 60°C (140°F) for 1 hour, mixing once or twice during the process.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the dates gently to extract as much syrup as possible.
Finish with:
• 0.5 g orange blossom water
• A generous pinch of salt
Lorenzo uses honey dates and lychee honey sourced near the bar in Hong Kong, but Medjool dates and any high-quality floral honey work beautifully as substitutes.
If you enjoy cocktails, bartending, mixology, Old Fashioned riffs, or learning recipes from the world’s best cocktail bars, make sure to subscribe for more episodes in this series.
#Cocktails #OldFashioned #BarLeone #WorldsBestBar #Mixology #BourbonCocktail #Calvados #Bartending #CocktailRecipe #HomeBartender
Rejoignez cette chaîne pour bénéficier d'avantages exclusifs :
youtube.com/channel/UCbpv0BMQJ6ZGTZ2hj1meeWA/join
