Shou Pu-erh Old Fashioned
Dark rum infused with Shou pu-erh, stirred with demerara syrup and orange bitters—an earthy, woody Old Fashioned variation that drinks like a midnight tea ceremony.
An Old Fashioned is just spirit, sugar, bitters, and water—the perfect framework for letting Shou pu-erh shine. Dark aged rum is the spirit of choice here, because its molasses depth and oak aging share a flavor language with Shou's wood-and-earth profile.
The infusion needs to be brief—just 30 minutes for rum with Shou. Pu-erh is intensely concentrated, and longer infusions create something undrinkable, like sucking on a wet log. Thirty minutes gives you a rum that's deepened in color and gained a layer of damp forest and cocoa.
Demerara syrup over white sugar is non-negotiable—its raw molasses notes mirror both the rum and the tea. Orange bitters wake everything up with a touch of citrus oil that cuts through the heaviness, and a single large ice cube keeps the dilution slow and controlled.
Mocktail variant: brew a very strong Shou pu-erh (8 g in 100 ml hot water, steeped 2 minutes), cool, and use 60 ml of that in place of the rum. Stir with demerara syrup, orange bitters (non-alcoholic versions exist), and orange peel exactly as below. The result is a rich, woody, sophisticated zero-proof drink.
Ingredients
- 60 ml aged dark rum (anejo or 7-year)
- 5 g Shou pu-erh leaves (for infusing the rum)
- 10 ml demerara syrup (2:1 demerara sugar to water)
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- 1 wide strip of fresh orange peel
- 1 large ice cube
- Cinnamon stick or star anise for garnish (optional)
How to make it
- 1Rinse the Shou leaves with hot water once and discard.
- 2Infuse rum: add rinsed Shou leaves to 60 ml dark rum in a sealed jar. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature, then strain through a fine sieve. Discard leaves.
- 3Add the infused rum, demerara syrup, and both bitters to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 25–30 seconds until well chilled and properly diluted.
- 4Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
- 5Express the orange peel over the surface, rub it around the rim, and drop it in. Add a cinnamon stick or star anise if desired and serve.
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