An open-air view of the Rocky Mountains isn’t necessary to enjoy this classic whiskey cocktail — but it helps.
Denver is a city I adore, from its plethora of breweries and food halls to its vibrant art scene and its knockout dining. But what struck me this time around was the Laws Whiskey Old Fashioned cocktail components with paired snacks that I found waiting for me in my Le Méridian Denver Downtown hotel room. The directions were explicit, right down to the final words: Enjoy on rooftop. That rooftop is 54Thirty, the highest open-air rooftop bar in The Mile High City, where I sipped away the sunset behind the snowy summits of the Front Range.
Laws Old Fashioned
2 ounces Laws Whiskey
¼ ounce Demerara syrup (recipe follows)
2 dashes Angostura
1 orange peel
Add ingredients to glass on ice. Stir for 30 revolutions. Express orange peel. That is firmly twist and press the orange peel above the glass and rub the peel glass rim, before dropping the peel into the glass. Twirl the peel for an attractive garnish.
Demerara Syrup*
1 part Demerara cane natural sugar (partially refined brown cane sugar vs. refined white sugar)
1 part water
Dash cinnamon
Splash vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves (approximately 2 – 3 minutes). Cool down naturally or with an ice bath, and store cold in the refrigerator.
* Demerara syrup is different in flavor from simple syrup, as you get the molasses flavor from the natural Demerara sugar crystals, instead of the processed/refined white sugar.
For more information on Le Méridian Denver Downtown or to make reservations, visit the hotel’s website.
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