Cheers to making it through another week!
Perhaps some of you (or many of you) are planning on attending a virtual Happy Hour over the holiday weekend and maybe you don’t want to ‘show up’ with beer or wine. My cocktail of choice is the Old Fashioned. Early recipes show the use of rye but personally, I prefer bourbon. Bourbon is slightly sweeter and rounder, whereas rye introduces a peppery bite.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 oz bourbon
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Splash of cold water
- 1 sugar cube (Demerera or other natural cane sugar are best)
- Maraschino cherry and orange slice for garnish
The method:
Use In an Old Fashioned (or rocks glass,) muddle sugar, water and bitters together. Add bourbon and a large ice cube. Stir until chilled and garnish with the orange slice and cherry. Alternately, some people like to twist an orange peel over top (releasing some of the citrus oils) and add in with the cherry.
This is a sipping cocktail, but you don’t want that expensive booze turning into a watery mess. Avoid small cubes; you can use whiskey stones or pick up rubber molds or (the best) invest in an ice sphere. The slower rate of melting still reIeases some of the notes and characteristics of the whiskey. Also, I will keep sweetened orange slices in the freezer and use them instead of a fresh slice. It mellows some of the spice and helps with the chilling.
There are several alternatives to making this. Instead of sugar, you can use simple syrup (which I choose to use most of the time.) There are online tutorials showing how to make your own simple syrup and alternately you can sub in honey, maple syrup or agave nectar.
Also, with the growth of the craft cocktail market, there are dozens of styles and flavors of bitters on the market. Experiment with what tastes you’re looking for. The best, however, is still the most common — Angostura. If a whiskey is particularly spicy, orange bitters can take some of the edge off (this is also great if you’re drinking that whiskey straight). Regardless of how you enjoy your favorite spirit, I can’t stress enough to experiment with different styles, types, proofs as well as the various mixers that are available.
Cheers! - Ron