When I think of my roots on both sides of the bar, I think of the Old Fashioned. Not only was it the first cocktail that I ever tasted, it was the first cocktail I ever made for a customer. Coming up as a bartender and experimenting with different things, I have found that this cocktail, while incredibly simple in its history and ingredients, is incredibly fun to play with! From substituting different bitters, to changing the base, to even changing the sweetener, this drink has unlimited possibilities. In that vein, the above cocktail showcases not only the fine spirit of rye whiskey, but in swapping out the angostura bitters for ROOTS Chios Mastic, you can see through the aroma and taste that not only has the drink been enhanced, but it has also completely changed. Further, while orange bitters are often a popular choice for an Old Fashioned, I instead elected to go with hopped grapefruit bitters, which while imparting the citrus notes that I desired, the hopped aspect of the bitters used also kept the drink from becoming too sweet. While the Old Fashioned is one of the most classic cocktails, I think that this riff on that classic shows that while it is vital to always move forward, we should never forget our roots, because our roots are a large part of what shaped us into who and where we are today.