Though a traditional Old-Fashioned is made with whiskey, “you can put in a little something else,” says Leyenda proprietor Ivy Mix. At her bar, which spotlights the spirits and cultures of the Caribbean and Latin America, the “something else” can mean a measure of Jamaican rum. In this variation, jam made with tamarind—a sweet-sour fruit frequently used to sweeten drinks and food in Mexico—plays against the mild acidity of verjus, the pressed juice of unripened grapes.
Old Sister Tamarind
Ivy Mix and Alisha Neverson, Leyenda | Brooklyn

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ½ ounces Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
- ½ ounce Jamaican rum, preferably Appleton Reserve
- 1 teaspoon verjus, preferably Wolffer
- 1 teaspoon Tam Jam (see Editor's Note)
- 2 drops 20% saline solution (10:2, water:salt)
- 5 drops Bittermens celery shrub
Garnish: Grapefruit twist
Directions
- Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
- Pour into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with grapefruit twist.
Editor's Note
Tam Jam
Blend together 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup sour tamarind and 4 ounces water until smooth. Bottle and refrigerate.