Grilled Peach Old Fashioned Cocktail

Note: I was sent a Coyote Outdoor Grill to participate in the #CoyoteChallenge. All opinions are mine alone.

I am absolutely loving my Coyote Outdoor Grill; I have been grilling anything and everything I can find! To see some of my other recipes I’ve made using my beloved grill, check them out here. This time, I wanted to branch out and find recipes that you may not necessarily consider making on the grill.

I found this awesome recipe for a Grilled Old Fashioned from Damaris Phillips (Food Network). How does one grill a cocktail? Well, you grill the fruit that goes into it!

I kept to the recipe for the most part, but added in some peaches for extra flavor because my husband loves all things peach and ended up with this recipe for Grilled Peach Old Fashioned Cocktail. I also substituted in Rye Whiskey to suit our personal tastes. Feel free to use your favorite bourbon of choice instead.

My friends and I loooooove Old Fashioned’s so I was thrilled to find a new version of our favorite cocktail. I make a mean Fizzy Old Fashioned that is a perfect “punch” for groups of friends; it’s not nearly as strong as a typical Old Fashioned, but the bourbon taste is still very present.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 orange, cut into slices
• 12 pitted cherries
• 1 peach, cut into quarter slices, with the stone removed
• Cooking Spray
• 5 tablespoons turbinado sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw)
• 3 dashes bitters
• 1 (750-ml bottle) rye whiskey (such as Bulleit Rye)
• 1 liter club soda, cold or  blood orange soda, cold
• ice

A quick note for my gluten-free friends. Rye whiskey, obviously derived from rye, is gluten-free. The distilling process removes the gluten proteins. So drink away!

Before beginning, take 3 wooden skewers and soak in water for 15 minutes. (This is so they don’t burn on the grill. If using metal skewers you can omit this step.)

Preheat your grill, coated in cooking spray, to medium-high heat. (Using the Coyote Outdoor Grill, I preheated the one burner under my Signature “vegetable/fish” grates.)

Slice your oranges and peaches, and pit your cherries.

Skewer the orange slices, peaches, and cherries.

Grill until charred on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.

Add the grilled fruit to a large pitcher.

Add the 5 tablespoons turbinado sugar and muddle with a wooden spoon. (Muddling is pressing down on the fruits to release some of the oils in the fruit.)

Add in 3 dashes of bitters and pour in the bottle of rye, mixing to combine.

To serve, add ice to a rocks glass and fill 2/3 with the rye mixture. Top off with club soda or blood orange soda and stir to combine.

Be sure to get some of the fruit into each glass!

The char from the grill really enhances the warm flavor of the rye. As you take your first sip, you can smell the smokiness in the drink. So tasty! See the grilled bits in the drink?

Muddling breaks up the oranges a bit so this drink is also somewhat pulpy which I really liked.

I suggest adding blood orange soda instead of the club soda for a bit more sweetness, if preferred.