Charred-Citrus Smoked Rye Old Fashioned for the Grill

Ingredient Spotlight

Demerara sugar

Demerara sugar is a coarse, minimally refined raw cane sugar named for the Demerara region of Guyana. It has large golden-brown crystals and a mild caramel/molasses flavor that adds both sweetness and a subtle toffee note (and sometimes crunch) to drinks and baked goods. You can find it in many grocery stores, specialty baking aisles, or online; good substitutes are turbinado sugar (closest in texture and flavor) or light brown sugar, or use a simple syrup made from brown sugar if you need it fully dissolved.

Ingredient Spotlight

Angostura bitters

Angostura bitters is a concentrated aromatic bitter produced by the House of Angostura in Trinidad and Tobago and is a classic cocktail ingredient. It tastes intensely herbal, spicy and bittersweet with notes of bitter orange, clove and other botanicals; it’s used in dashes to add depth and balance rather than bulk. Bottles are widely sold at liquor stores and many supermarkets; if you don’t have it, other aromatic bitters (e.g., Peychaud’s or Fee Brothers) can substitute, or as a last resort a tiny pinch of ground cloves/allspice plus a little citrus zest.

Ingredient Spotlight

Wood chips (apple, cherry or oak)

Wood chips are small pieces of hardwood used for smoking or briefly infusing foods and cocktails with smoke; apple and cherry give mild, fruity smoke while oak provides a stronger, more savory smoke. They’re common in barbecue and smoking traditions and are sold at BBQ shops, hardware/garden centers, and online. If you don’t have chips, try a few drops of liquid smoke, a pinch of smoked salt, or briefly charring a citrus peel to impart a smoky note.