This is the cocktail kit for the person who wants to make a great old fashioned at home without becoming a mixologist. We bundled our craft Old Fashioned Syrup, our Aromatic Bitters, a jar of imported Hotel Starlino maraschino cherries, a gold pour spout, and a step-by-step recipe card into one box. Add your favorite bourbon or rye, and you're making bar-quality old fashioneds in 30 seconds.
The math: this kit makes about 24 cocktails, which works out to roughly $1.70 per drink before the whiskey — significantly cheaper than a bar tab. The Starlino cherries (real Italian maraschino, not the fluorescent-red kind) are worth the kit by themselves. The pour spout fits the syrup bottle for clean, drip-free pouring. And the recipe card walks you through the perfect ratio if you've never built an old fashioned from scratch.
What's Inside
- 12 oz Old Fashioned Syrup — cherry, orange oil, gentian, French orange liqueur extract, baking spices
- 3.4 oz Aromatic Bitters — cinchona, bitter orange, cardamom, chamomile
- 1.5 oz Hotel Starlino Maraschino Cherries — real Italian, no fluorescent dye
- Gold Pour Spout — fits the syrup bottle for drip-free pouring
- Step-by-step recipe card
The Short Version: A complete old fashioned cocktail kit — our craft Old Fashioned Syrup, Aromatic Bitters, real Italian Starlino cherries, a pour spout, and a recipe card. Just add whiskey.
Perfect For: Whiskey drinkers, cocktail beginners building their first bar, gift recipients who like classic cocktails, old fashioned loyalists who want better-than-bar at home, and anyone tired of paying $14 for a bar drink.
Best Enjoyed In: Old Fashioneds (½ oz syrup + 2 dashes bitters + 2 oz bourbon or rye + ice + cherry + orange peel) — the kit makes approximately 24 cocktails total.
The Portland Syrups Promise: Ethically sourced, carefully brewed, and bottled in glass jars right here in SE Portland, Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long do the components last after opening?
A: The syrup is shelf-stable for 24 months unopened and keeps 6 months refrigerated after opening. The bitters keep effectively indefinitely (40% ABV makes them self-preserving). The Starlino cherries keep up to 2 years opened in the fridge.
Q: What kind of whiskey should I buy to use with this kit?
A: Old fashioneds are traditionally made with either bourbon (sweeter, vanilla-forward) or rye (drier, spicier). For a mellow, easy-drinking old fashioned, go bourbon — Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, or Maker's Mark are all great starting points. For something with more bite and character, go rye — Bulleit Rye, Rittenhouse, or Old Overholt. The syrup works beautifully with either. Just avoid the bottom-shelf stuff; you can taste the whiskey clearly in an old fashioned.
Q: Is this a good gift?
A: One of our most-given gifts. The whole kit looks impressive, contains real-craft ingredients (not mass-produced cocktail mixers), and gives the recipient everything they need except a bottle of whiskey — which most cocktail-curious people already have or are happy to pick up. Especially good for cocktail beginners, since the recipe card removes the guesswork.
