Cara Cara Orange Old Fashioned

We live in Tennessee and we embrace bourbon. This was a collaboration with Mr. Spinach Tiger. He loves bourbon cocktails and anything orange.

He Created the Cara Cara Bourbon Old Fashioned, using  spiced cherry bitters, sage blackberry simple syrup and a spritz of soda water. Good for anytime of the year, but especially right now as we’re cascading into Spring (sort of).

Since it still coat weather here, I paired this old fashioned with party meatballs using some of the same Cara Cara zest. Now you might think party meatballs are so yesterday, but the heavy appetizer still trends high, and when did a shallot wine reduction ever go out of style. Originally I was going to pair this with candied bacon which is still a fantastic idea, and oh so Southern, but changed my mind at the last minute thinking this was too sweet with this drink. The bacon found their way into the meatballs.

I could not find the right cocktail glass today, because I didn’t have the right ice. I have standard old fashioned glasses, but they require huge ice cubes, so I hope you don’t mind, I played around with glassware. Mason jars are often poked fun as and some think the farm and barn decor is dead, but this is Nashville, the town that never forgets its roots, but knows how to glam it up Hollywood style when it needs to. 

The Old Fashioned is my favorite cocktail, far above a martini because it’s so down to earth. Bourbon smells good. It’s spicy. It’s solid. Combined with bitters and a splash of this or that and I feel like I’m out of my workday and into fun gossip, and cavorting.

Cavorting.  Now there’s a retro word. Does anyone use that anymore?  The dictionary defines cavorting as to behave in a high-spirited, festive manner; making merry.

Cavorting and a Cara Cara Old Fashioned just go together! She’s out cavorting with her friends, old fashioned in hand

I’ll share the cocktail recipe on this page and the meatball recipe on a separate entry.

This is not as fancy as some of the other creative crew,  because I’ve been working hard on a freelance job for a magazine and the deadlines are a few days aways. I can’t wait to share it with you when the time is right. The research required a lot of personal indepth interviews on my favorite topic.  I’m doing what I love to do. It still comes with a bit of stress and due diligence, but it’s good, stimulating stress, and personally meaningful.

Speaking of Bourbon…

I’ve been tourcationing in my own city, Nashville,  and we have a few new whiskey distilleries that I’ll be talking about soon.  Green Brier Distillery, makers of Belle Meade Bourbon, was shut down during prohibition, only to be opened again exactly 100 years later by the great great great grandsons, Charlie and Andy Nelson.  Now that’s a story and only part of it.

I started this blog to get outside of Nashville six years ago and connect with other food lovers, and what has happened? This blog has deeply connected me to this town.  If you ever need recommendations as to where to eat or what to do, you can always email me at spinachtiger@me.com.

In the meantime, enjoy a bourbon cocktail and some savory party meatballs.

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Cara Cara Orange Old Fashioned Paired with Orange Shallot Party Meatballs

An Orange bourbon old fashioned with spiced cherry bitter.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1

Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 sugar cube
• 1/2 tablespoon Blackberry spice & sage syrup
• Dash of spiced cherry bitters
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Bourbon
• 1 slice of orange / half in drink half on side
• 1/2 cup Orange sparkling water

Instructions

• Place sugar cube in glass
• add blackberry spice syrup, bitter. Stir.
• Add bourbon, ice and sliced oranges.
• Top with sparkling water

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