Async's Threshold
This aged rum Old Fashioned is a deep, rich drink for contemplating the unknown, much like the Async Research Institute's attempts to map the Backrooms and its mysterious 'thresholds' [9, 10]. The mezcal rinse adds a disorienting, smoky whisper of what lies beyond.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Aged rum
- 0.25 oz Demerara Syrup
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Mezcal rinse
Instructions
- Rinse a chilled rocks glass with mezcal, discarding any excess. The scent alone should set the mood.
- In a mixing glass, combine aged rum, demerara syrup, and Angostura bitters with a large ice cube.
- Stir well until perfectly chilled and diluted, about 30-45 seconds.
- Strain over a large, fresh ice cube in the prepared rocks glass.
- Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel, resembling a forgotten piece of the 'real' world.
Glassware: Rocks glass
Garnish: Dehydrated orange wheel
History
This Old Fashioned variation pays homage to the institutional dread of the Async Research Institute, the fictional entity trying to understand the Backrooms. The aged rum provides a familiar warmth, but the mezcal rinse is a subtle nod to the 'no-clipping' effect and the disorienting nature of slipping between realities. It's a drink that encourages reflection, much like the scientists studying the 'Complex'.