The Bold Fashioned

Our smoky take on the global favourite. Dangerously delicious with a touch of theatre. Built around Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish, this Bold Fashioned swaps the classic Old Fashioned’s sweetness for something darker, deeper and unmistakably peaty. Maple and chocolate round out the edges, while a whisper of sea salt and Laphroaig mist lift the aromas straight out of the glass.

Easy
1-3 min
Smoky

ingredients and how to craft

Ingredients

50 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish
12 Maple Syrup
Chocolate Bitters

How to Craft The Bold Fashion

Built with just a few ingredients, this Scotch Old Fashioned recipe is all about letting peated whisky speak first. What is peated whisky and why does it taste so unmistakable? It’s what gives Scotch that signature smoky edge—created by drying malted barley over peat smoke, locking in layers of aroma before the whisky even reaches the cask. With so little in the mix, the balance matters: a touch of richness to round the edges, and a savoury lift that lets Laphroaig take centre stage. Follow the steps below to craft this cocktail at home:

Step 1

Mix the ingredients: Add the single malt whisky, maple syrup and chocolate bitters to a mixing glass with plenty of ice.

Step 2

Stir: Stir well & strain into a Rocks glass over big ice.

Step 3

Serve: Garnish with a tiny pinch of sea salt to sharpen the sweetness and amplify the peat. Express an orange peel over the glass (and drop it in if you like), then give the Scotch Old Fashioned drink a light mist of Laphroaig from an atomiser for an aromatic, smoky lift.

Complete your cocktail with

Sherry Oak Laphroaig bottle on a table with two glasses of drams

Sherry Oak Laphroaig bottle on a table with two glasses of drams in hands

What makes it a Scotch Old Fashioned?

A Bold Fashioned cocktail is a modern take on the Old Fashioned that keeps the classic format—whisky, sweetness and bitters—but turns the flavour up. Traditionally made with bourbon or rye, this version swaps in peated Scotch, leaning into smoke and deeper, darker notes with just enough richness to hold everything together. It’s shorter, drier, and more intense—made for drinkers who want their whisky to make a statement.

That statement is pure Islay. Laphroaig single malt carries the island in its character: peat smoke with a medicinal edge, a salty coastal lift, and a bold, malty backbone that doesn’t fade in a mixed drink. It’s not “smoky” for the sake of it—it’s a sense of place in the glass, shaped by sea air, peat and tradition. That’s what makes a single malt Old Fashioned feel unmistakably ours.

The whisky behind the Single Malt Old Fashioned

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Scotch is the original—our foundation and the purest expression of Islay character. The 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish keeps that medicinal peat-smoke core and layers in the richness of Oloroso sherry oak. Those tasting notes—Manuka honey, clove and leather on the nose, then toffee, maple syrup and dark chocolate on the palate—line up naturally with the Bold Fashioned build: maple syrup and chocolate bitters echo the whisky’s darker sweetness, while the coastal edge and hint of brine keep the finish sharp and unmistakably peaty.

If that peat-and-sweet combination is your lane, take it into the night with the Smoky Espresso Martini—also made with Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish, espresso, sugar syrup and Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur. It keeps the same smoky signature, but swaps the Scotch Old Fashioned structure for caffeine and coffee-dark warmth when the evening’s not ready to end.

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If you love Laphroaig’s unmistakable Islay character but fancy something brighter than a Bold Fashioned, meet The Other Island—Willem Dafoe’s signature Laphroaig cocktail. It’s built with Laphroaig 10 Year Old, letting that peaty, coastal backbone shine in a lighter, more refreshing serve—an ideal next pour when you want the smoke, just in a different mood.

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The Other Island

We have a new Friend: Willem Dafoe. The occasion called for an unphorgettable cocktail – and that’s where renowned New York mixologist, Meaghan Dorman, came in. Meaghan poured her experience of conjuring up bar-side magic into the creation of a brand new serve: Willem Dafoe’s signature Laphroaig cocktail, The Other Island.

Intermediate
3-5 min

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The Laphroaig Paloma

Introducing: The Laphroaig Paloma, where peat, salt, and fire meet in a zesty, refreshing cocktail. The perfect way to introduce Laphroaig to new friends or to sample your bottle of Laphroaig 10 Year Old in a new way.

Easy
3-5 min

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Smoky Whisky Sour

Smooth and delicious. An amazing creamy texture, with a sweet citrus taste balanced by whisky smoke. Fresh lemon keeps it bright and clean, lifting the foam and sharpening the edges so the peat never feels heavy. A final twist of orange oil across the surface pulls the citrus forward and lets the smoke roll in behind this Smoky Whisky Sour— coastal, unmistakable, and lingering long after the last sip.