First up in our search for Old Fashioned goodness is the classic grand daddy himself. The Old Fashioned Whiskey cocktail is a text book example of simplicity at its best — spirit, sweetener, bitters and maybe a fruit peel of some type muddle in the glass, stirred with ice and that’s it. How is it then that this simple, tasty drink is so often butchered and presents so much by way of contentious debate between cocktail geeks and bartenders? Like similar topics, it usually comes down to a case of those that seek to adhere (rightly or wrongly) to a perceived classic formula and those that are either modifying it or simply don’t know it.
The drink that I knew as an Old Fashioned several years back was a drink that I frankly, hated. Why? Basically I dislike the taste of soda water and the versions that I used to drink were on average a version of a drink with a taste profile similar to bourbon flavored soda water. To boot, I usually had to contend with sipping around a mashed pile of fruit salad at the bottom of the glass. Even at a time in my drink imbibing life when I was far less in tuned with what constituted a properly made drink, I knew this wasn’t or couldn’t be what this supposed “classic” was to taste like. As such, I never craved this glass of soda water because it lacked in construction anything that should be craved. Herein, in part, lies the heart of the great Old Fashioned debate. By my limited research into the subject it would seem that at some point us Americans took a good thing (as we are apt to do) and messed it up.
For me, the classic preparation of the drink is a thing of simple, beauty — sweetener, bitters and a fruit twist muddled lightly at the bottom of a heavy rocks glass; spirit and ice are added, stirred lightly and ready to be consumed. Simple, elegant and down right perfect. The addition of soda water to me seems unnecessary and likely not original (I’m happy and fully expect plenty will hit me on this point); its addition strikes me as something akin to the use of “fillers” in cooking … you need to extend or make a drink bigger and so rather than add more of the expensive ingredients you add increasingly larger amounts of fizzy water (and then later, dump in a bunch of mashed fruit) and presto, you have a bigger drink. Bigger yes, but not even remotely as good (my opinion … may very well not be yours).
So there you have it, my view of the Old Fashioned debate – likely to piss off some and placate others. In this our first post in the series, we are offering up two preparations of this classic drink. The first is likely the more “original” of the two preparations and uses a sugar cube softened with a touch of water and bitters that are muddled into a paste. This version of the drink is so powerfully different in taste and profile than the second version (my typical preparation when making for myself) we’ll offer up later. Strong, bold and very spirit forward, there is just the faintest twinge of sweetness that lingers nicely, but faintly on the after palate with the bitters.
Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
Recipe adapted by theSpeakista
• 2 oz bourbon (Johnny Drum Private Stock was used)
• 1 sugar cube
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish: orange twist (for use in mixing as well)
Glass: rocks or old fashioned glass
Tools: muddler and bar-spoon
Assembly: Add the sugar cube to the serving glass, douse with the bitters and a teaspoon of water and muddle into a paste. Add the orange twist, muddle lightly and then add in the bourbon giving the mix a light stir. Add ice to the glass, stir, serve and enjoy.
Our second preparation, a slightly more modern version, replaces the sugar cube with lush 2:1 
Demerara sugar syrup in lieu of the sugar cube and this simple change to the formula results in quite a change to the overall taste profile. Just the simplest of tweaks from our former version and yet worlds apart flavor-wise; this version of the formula is sweeter yes, but all-in-all more rounded and more approachable. The spirit, bitters and oils from the fruit twist all work better, I think, in this version of the recipe.
Note: the video contained in the media box in the upper right of this post is that of Jeffrey Morgenthaller preparing the drink in the below method.
Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
Recipe adapted by theSpeakista
• 2 oz bourbon (Johnny Drum Private Stock was used)
• 1/4 oz rich, 2:1 Demerara sugar syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish: orange twist (for use in mixing as well)
Glass: rocks or old fashioned glass
Tools: muddler and bar-spoon
Assembly: Add the bitters, sugar syrup and orange peel to the serving glass and muddle lightly; add in the bourbon giving the mix a light stir. Add ice to the glass, stir, serve and enjoy the beauty that is simplicity.
First up and not a bad way to start. Tomorrow, we take on the soda water debate head first and see if there is any merit to this version of the drink.
