With a homemade curry leaf infused whiskey and a smokey cardamom sugar syrup, the Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned has a nod of traditional Old Fashioned flavors with a smokey-sweet finish.
When <3M and I were in England, we visited an Indian street food restaurant, Mowgli, and had the most amazing Indian meal including a Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned that blew my mind. The meal was wonderful and I even bought the 
But strangely, of everything I tried at Mowgli, I couldn’t stop craving the Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned. If you recall, I’m not the Old Fashioned drinker in the family but <3M is and he’s quite the connoisseur! He even weighed in with his friends to help me create a guide to Austin’s Best Old Fashioneds, so for me to crave this whiskey based drink, you knowit has to be good.
The Mowgli cookbook offered up the Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned recipe but I made a few tweaks of my own so while this cocktail isn’t 100% the same Old Fashioned I enjoyed in Manchester, it’s very close. In fact, <3M declared this Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned in his top 5 of all time (and on some days, if he’s craving something different, in his top 3!). Now, THAT is saying something.
This Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned is heavy on the smoke due to the black cardamom pods. It also has a subtle sweetness from the syrup and apricot brandy. The finish is slightly earthy from the curry leaves themselves which you infuse into the whiskey, making this cocktail unique but with the traditional smokey-sweet Old Fashioned notes we’re all used to.
Curry Infused Whiskey
You can find fresh curry leaves at most Indian markets. If you’re in Austin, I grabbed a bag from Gandhi Bazaar on William Cannon & Brodie. You’ll need about 1 ounce of leaves for 3 cups of whiskey. When it comes time to choose your whiskey, I’d choose a quality bourbon based whiskey at a middle of the road price point like Bulleit Bourbon.
Creating the infused whiskey is simple! Just drop the curry leaves — stems and all into a jar, pour the whiskey over it and let it steep for at least two days before you make the cocktail. I let mine sit for 5 days then removed the leaves.
Smoked Cardamom Syrup
Although this is a smoked cardamom syrup, you’re really just looking for BLACK cardamom pods. Black cardamom pods have a naturally smoky flavor so don’t go killin’ yourself looking for smoked cardamom pods. And don’t fall for any pricey ‘smoked black cardamom pods’ you find on the internet. My advice is to again, hit up your local Indian store for this ingredient.
If you’ve ever made a simple syrup, this is that exact same process. It’s a 2:1 ratio of granulated sugar to water, heated to a boil on the stovetop and stirred until the sugar is fully dissolved. Next, you drop about 3 ounces of black cardamom pods into a jar, pour the hot syrup over top and let it sit for at least two days.
Afterward, you can use the syrup as-is but I chose to strain out the pods over a fine mesh strainer as they released black specs into the syrup and I wanted a clean, clear syrup.
Once you have these two key ingredients, the cocktail comes together in minutes. It’s as simple as pour, ice, & garnish. You can choose to serve the Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned over ice (I’d recommend 
If you’re looking for a meal to pair your Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned with try making my Murgh Malai Tikka, an Indian-spiced grilled chicken kebab.
- 3 ounces curry whiskey, recipe below
- .75 ounces apricot brandy
- .75 ounces smoked cardamom syrup
- 4 dash Angostura bitters
- 2-3 curry leaves, for garnish
- 2 sugared cardamom pods, for garnish
- Place all of the ingredients in a whiskey glass (or shaker if making neat)
- Add ice and stir (or shake and strain if making neat then pour into glass)
- Garnish with curry leaves and cardamom pods
- 3 cups bourbon whiskey
- 1-ounce curry leaves
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 ounces black cardamom pods
- For the whiskey, add curry leaves, stems and all to a large mason jar
- Pour whiskey over top and seal with li
- Let steep at least 2 days
- Remove and discard leaves before using.
- Store at room temperature
- Now make the syrup.
- Place cardamom pods in a large mason jar and set aside
- Add sugar and water to a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
- Reduce to simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved
- Pour warm syrup over cardamom pods and let cool
- Once cool, seal with lid and let steep at least 2 days
- Before using, you may strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cardamom pods
- Do not discard the pods, as you'll use them for garnish
- Store syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 months
We love cardamom but I have never tried smoked cardamom, this looks super good!
Well, I could sip that right up!
That smoked cardamom syrup sounds awesome. What great flavors to a drink!!!
What a fun and unique twist on a classic drink!
I love cardamom but have never tried smoked cardamom. And the combo with curry leaves sounds quiet interesting. We use curry leaves in Indian cooking but to combine with cardamom is not that common, except in some southern Indian meat curries.