Yesterday, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Paylor, who has been a bartender/hospitality queen in the District of Columbia since about the time we started our company in 2009/2010.  She started out in Derek Brown's empire of Southern Efficiency, Mockingbird Hill and Eat the Rich, before moving into several other great ventures, like being GM at Dos Mamis and working at Silver Lyan.  Find out more about this amazingly talented person by watching the video below.

For this cocktail, the name of which was taken from the motto of the Passenger, a DC industry bar where we all met, Lauren doubles up the rye:  Rye whisky in the drink and a rye infused simple syrup for a nutty addition.

2 oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
½ oz Rye Syrup*
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Smoke a rocks glass with cinnamon sticks, then construct the drink as a normal old fashioned with a big rock in the glass. Garnish with torched cinnamon and orange peel.

*Rye Syrup - Toast 500 grams of the whole rye grain and blend with 500 grams of water, 1000 grams of granulated cane sugar, 1 tsp szechaun peppercorn, and 1 tsp fennel seed.

Drink and photo courtesy Lauren Paylor, and used with permission.