I was standing in my kitchen tonight deciding what to mix up to end a great weekend that included lots of good cocktails. My jar of Luxardo maraschino cherries caught my attention. (Note: these are not those neon pink/red cherries we know from childhood. These are the real deal.) And I thought, “What can I do with those? Duh. An Old-Fashioned of course?” I pulled together all the ingredients and grabbed my muddler.
Since we have enjoyed many together, I will always think of my friend Maura when I have an Old-Fashioned. It’s a favorite of hers and she has made it a favorite of mine. It’s a classic that has been pleasing drinkers for a long time. In Jerry Thomas’ 1862 How to Mix Drinks, he identifies a cocktail as a strong spirit of any kind, with sugar, water and bitters. In that way, some identify the Old-Fashioned as the original cocktail. The muddled fruit I so enjoy was added later in the early 20th century. Like with most cocktail recipes, the exact moment of origin is a bit fuzzy, but many credit the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky with the bourbon version most of us enjoy.
I really like the potency of this drink—it’s mostly bourbon. The caremelly, sweetness of the bourbon is nicely matched with the muddled cherry and orange. And the Angostura bitters (Of course, I am using these sparing these days, but this is a worthy cause) amp up the whole thing. Perfect end to the weekend.
Even though I have made many with no recipe, I followed Dale DeGroff’s recipe in The Essential Cocktail. It’s pretty much the same as what I learned from Maura.
Old-Fashioned
In an old-fashioned glass (what else would you possibly use?), muddle together:
1 tsp superfine sugar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry
1 orange slice
Splash of club soda
Remove fruit pieces
Add 2 oz bourbon and ice
Stir
Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.
Thank goodness old school drinks like Old-Fashioneds never go out of style. Cheers!
Leave a comment
Comments feed for this article