Banana syrup and rum turn this Banana Old-Fashioned from classic cocktail into a tropical escape. It’s slightly sweet, slightly boozy and completely delicious!
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About this Banana Old-Fashioned recipe
There’s something about classic cocktails that always excites me. Making a recipe that’s stood the test of time and been mixed over decades in bars and in homes makes me feel like I’m sipping a little piece of history each time I enjoy one.
Now, don’t get me wrong. While I hold the utmost respect for these recipes, I’m also going to make sure that they are the absolute best they can be. Take my classic old-fashioned. It’s not what I learned to make in bartending school — the bones are there, but I know my version is better.
After all, if we don’t improve or riff off of recipes, we wouldn’t get inventive new drinks like this deliciously decadent Banana Old-Fashioned. It plays off the recipe and ratios of the classic recipe, but with flavors all its own. Cozy banana mixes with warm cinnamon and complex aged rum for a downright tropical result.
More old-fashioned recipes: Honey Old-Fashioned • Fig Old-Fashioned • Coffee Old-Fashioned
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s simple, yet sophisticated. The flavors play together perfectly to take your taste buds on a trip!
- Perfect for summer sipping. Banana and rum give tiki vibes right at home in warm summer weather.
- Make it your own. Play with different flavors to find what fits your tastes.
Tools & glassware
For this Banana Old-Fashioned, you’ll want some basic bar tools on-hand like a mixing glass * and bar spoon *. I prefer to serve my old-fashioneds with a large, clear ice cube to feel like I’m at a fancy bar. You’ll also need a sauce pan and fine mesh strainer * for the homemade banana syrup.
When it comes to glasses, you can use either rocks glasses * or old-fashioned glasses *. I find that the large ice fits more comfortably in a rocks glass *.
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Ingredients
It only takes a handful of ingredients to craft a Banana Old-Fashioned. As always, I recommend using the best quality rum and ingredients you can afford, rather than a bottle that’s been sitting on your bar cart * since college (we all have one of those). The quality of your ingredients directly translates to the quality of your cocktail!
For the full measurements and step-by-step instructions, head down to the recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
- sliced banana
- sugar
- water
- ground cinnamon *
- aged rum
- banana syrup
- cinnamon bitters
Garnishes
Garnishes give a good glimpse into what you’ll be sipping, in addition to providing aroma and flavor to your cocktail. I garnished my Banana Old-Fashioned with a brûléed banana slice to really amp up the banana flavor. You could also use a piece of lemon zest or orange zest.
Best booze for old-fashioneds
This recipe calls for aged rum, which contributes to the tropical taste of the drink and adds earthy notes thanks to the flavors absorbed from the barrel it was aged in. The sweet, caramel notes of rum compliment the sweet, spiced banana syrup, making it a great choice for this cocktail.
Bourbon, or bourbon whiskey, is the typical spirit found in an old-fashioned. With notes of oak and a subtle sweetness, it would work well in this recipe too — good news for any bourbon lovers.
Substitutions & variations
Non-alcoholic: Turn this recipe into a mocktail by swapping the rum for a zero-proof alternative, like Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative *, and non-alcoholic bitters *.
Spiced banana old-fashioned: Make it more tropical with a garnish of pineapple or a coconut-shaving rim. Try homemade spiced rum for another level of spiced flavor.
Instructions
Time to craft a Banana Old-Fashioned!
You’ll want to start with the banana syrup. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook banana with water and sugar. Stir in a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer until bananas are browned, about 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and stir in your remaining sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer * and discard the solids. Allow the syrup to cool completely before mixing into you drink.
For the cocktail, fill your mixing glass * with ice. Add in the rum and banana syrup.
Use a bar spoon * to gently stir your ingredients until they are chilled. Add a large ice cube or sphere to your preferred glass and strain in your cocktail. Top with a few dashes of cinnamon bitters and garnish with a brûléed banana slice.
Tips & tricks
- To make caramelized banana garnishes for your cocktails, place a banana slice on a heat-proof surface. Sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar over a banana slice and brûlée with a kitchen torch.
- For the sweetest simple syrup, use ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are much more sweet and will create a delicious syrup!
- Choose a high quality aged rum, but not one that is too fancy to mix into a cocktail! You can also use whiskey if you want to play with flavor.
How to use banana syrup
Since this banana syrup is a flavored simple syrup rather than a banana liqueur, you can use it in a multitude of ways:
- For breakfast, drizzle the syrup over pancakes or French toast. You can use the discarded mashed bananas as a topping for yogurt or oatmeal.
- Dress up desserts like a scoop of banana pudding with a drizzle of syrup.
- Flavor your cocktails & mocktails by adding it to your favorite drinks. It is especially tasty in a banana daiquiri (which you can make on the rocks or frozen) or in a ultra-refreshing Italian soda.
Food pairings
Lean into the tropics with the flavors of this drink! Think pineapple salsa with homemade tortilla chips or creamy coconut shrimp.
Since this drink packs a lot of flavor thanks to the banana syrup and rum, it can also stand up to a hearty meal like blackened steak and veggies.
On the sweeter side, try something complimentary like dark chocolate chip banana bread or South African milk tart.
FAQ
The secret to the banana flavor in this drink is banana syrup. It is full of banana flavor that easily combines into a cocktail.
For this old-fashioned, you’ll want to use an aged rum. Aged rum is aged for a longer period of time in a barrel and absorbs more of the flavor, which it then brings into the drink it is mixed into.
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Banana Old-Fashioned
ingredients
Banana Syrup
- 1 large banana peeled and sliced
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 1 cup water divided
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Banana Old-Fashioned
- 2 ounces aged rum or whiskey
- ¼ ounce banana syrup to taste
- 2-3 dashes cinnamon bitters
- 1 brûléed banana slice for garnish
instructions
Banana Syrup
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook banana slices with ¼ cup water and ¼ cup sugar until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in a pinch of cinnamon.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water until sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. Let cool completely.
Banana Old-Fashioned
- In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine aged rum and banana syrup.
- Use a bar spoon to gently stir the mixture until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube or sphere.
- Top with a few dashes of cinnamon bitters and garnish with a brûléed banana slice.
notes
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Daisy L. says
This Banana Old – Fashioned recipe is delightful!
Susannah says
So glad you enjoyed it Daisy!