Piero Procida is the food and beverage director at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills hotel.

The Espresso Old Fashioned is my go-to cocktail because it’s the best of both of my two favorite things: espresso and a classic Rye Old Fashioned. It is very easy to make, and I am all about keeping drinks less complicated. My focus has always been to allow the main ingredients to speak for themselves working together and not drown each other out with too many flavors—especially artificial ones.

We developed this cocktail, appropriately named “Ryed on the Roof,” over the winter holidays, and it quickly became a favorite for both our guests and myself. This just goes to show that simple works.

Dickel Rye uses a process called chilled charcoal mellowing, which makes the whiskey smoother in taste. The sugar maple charcoal is what gives this drink that wonderful character that matches the earthy qualities of the espresso so well.

The key to stirring the ice is getting just a tad bit of water to pull all the flavors together while still chilling the drink, but then stopping the process in time by removing the ice so not to dilute it too much. Adding a large block of ice to a cold drink prevents further dilution and simply keeps the drink cold.

The lemon zest complements the espresso and the orange zest complements the rye. A perfect drink for anytime of the year!

Ryed On The Roof
2 oz. Dickel rye
¼ oz. Simple syrup (combine equal parts sugar and water)
¼ oz. Espresso
5-6 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange and lemon twist garnish

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir quickly, allowing the ice to melt slightly to cool down any spice left in the drink. Pour into a rocks glass over a large ice cube while straining out the rest of the ice with a julep strainer. Garnish with orange and lemon zest peels.