If you love a good bourbon and bitters cocktail like I do, you’ll love the Old Man River.

bourbon and bitters cocktail on UrbanBlissLife.com

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

I had a crazy fun nonstop weekend with my kiddos, with lots of stories for them to excitedly tell my husband when he arrived home late last night after his weekend in Vegas. It was 100 degrees here in our normally fair 75-degree city. Hot hot hot!

Today I’m sharing a classic bourbon and bitters cocktail recipe to help cool you off during hot summer days. This one comes from Nel Centro, a restaurant in downtown Portland, Oregon which is celebrating its 7th anniversary. I had the pleasure of trying this cocktail during a recent media dinner and it is delicious!

Nel Centro actually offers an impressive cocktail menu that includes drinks inspired by performances of neighboring Portland Opera as well as the Oregon Ballet Theatre.

magic flute cocktail

This Magic Flute, one of their creations for the Portland Opera, is a light, refreshing cocktail with Prosecco, Nardini Acqua di Cedro, and Grapefruit Bitters.

sweeney todd cocktail

The Sweeney Todd is a mix of Bulleit Bourbon, Luxardo Maraschino, Creme de Cacao, and Cayenne pepper. You can catch the Portland Opera’s performance of Sweeney Todd this month!

The Old Man River is inspired by the Portland Opera’s 2015 run of Showboat. The folks at Nel Centro were kind enough to share the recipe for Old Man River. I really love this bourbon cocktail, and hope you will, too!

Bourbon and Bitters Cocktail

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By Marlynn Schotland
Old Man River, a delicious and refreshing bourbon-based cocktail recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
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Ingredients 

  • 1 oz Burnside Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Calisaya Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 dashes Orange bitters
  • Build in Mixing Glass over ice, shake and serve in bucket
  • Garnish: orange wedge and cherry

Instructions 

  • Build in a mixing glass over ice, shake, and pour unstrained into a bucket glass.
  • Garnish with an orange wedge and cherry.
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Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

About Marlynn

I'm a cookbook author, recipe developer, photographer, WSET 2 Certified wine pro, mom of two, and dog lover. I'm here to help you with fast, easy, and delicious recipes, food & wine pairings, cooking & baking tips, plus food and wine travel guides.

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5 Comments

  1. Erin says:

    I love that they sync up their cocktails to the shows playing! Such a fun collaboration! And seriously what a great dinner that was…

    Reply
  2. Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman says:

    Great theme drinks – that “Old Man River” sounds like a drink my sweetheart – our resident bourbon aficionado – would love! There are few things in this world I love more than a good stage performance.

    Reply
  3. Melissa says:

    I love Nel Centro! :)

    Reply
  4. Pech says:

    That was a great cocktail, I’ve gone back and had it already again! I can see why even though the show is over, everyone demanded they keep it on the menu!

    Reply
  5. Catherine says:

    I’m not the biggest fan of bitters, but I do love the name of this cocktail!

    Reply