Garvey Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

The Garvey Old Fashioned is a spirit-forward dark rum cocktail flavored with pineapple-infused demerara syrup and jerk-spiced bitters. This drink is stirred and served over a big ice cube in a rocks glass and garnished with a dehydrated pineapple slice.

A riff on a classic Old Fashioned, this spice-forward variation swaps whiskey for dark rum. There are a number of rum-based old-fashioned riffs, like the Treacle No. 1, which includes an apple cider float, or a classic rum Old Fashioned, which features Angostura bitters akin to the traditional recipe. In the Garvey Old Fashioned, though, dark rum’s Caribbean roots are emphasized by the use of jerk bitters —  a flavorful bitters blend made with ingredients typically found in jerk seasoning like black pepper, nutmeg, and habanero peppers. 

This recipe is named after Marcus Garvey, an Afro-Jamaican political activist in the early 20th century whose Black Nationalist ideology became known as Garveyism.

Why the Garvey Old Fashioned works

This Old Fashioned amplifies the nutty, savory notes of Ten To One’s Dark Rum. Instead of a traditional simple syrup, the pineapple-infused demerara syrup adds fruity, caramelized sweetness to this drink. It’s made by reducing equal parts demerara sugar (a minimally processed cane sugar) with pineapple juice. 

Jerk bitters provide a distinct, warm, and spicy kick. This combination results in a familiar yet exhilaratingly new Old Fashioned.

This recipe was developed by Ten to One; the text was written by Lucy Simon.