Method
Place applewood chips in a small heatproof dish. Light with a torch or match. Invert a highball glass over the smoking chips; let the glass fill with smoke for 60 seconds.
Drop the ice sphere into the smoked glass.
Add bourbon, cherry heering, and orange bitters. Stir 10 times with a barspoon.
Express an orange coin (squeeze peel side down over the drink, then run the peel around the rim) and drop it in.
Cap with a coaster or napkin; serve while the smoke is still visible under the glass.
A single ice sphere, a 90-second smoke, and a cherry-amber pour. That's the whole drink.
Old Fashioneds live or die on the ice. A single large sphere (2.5-inch silicone mold) dilutes slowly and looks beautiful in the glass. We use a 2:1 ratio of bourbon to cherry heering for a balanced pour; tweak to 3:1 if you prefer it drier. The smoke step is optional but worth the 90 seconds: invert a highball glass over a small dish of applewood chips, light the chips, and let the glass fill with smoke. Place the ice sphere in, pour the cocktail over, and cap with a smoked orange coin. The drink arrives at the table smelling like a campfire.