A change of spirit: The Old Fashioned

Wow, I have been pretty bad with the blog lately, sorry. I thought I would pick up with a cocktail. I had originally thought about continuing the rum, lime juice and a sweetener series with The Bacardi, which swaps out grenadine for the simple syrup, but I decided to change it up. Instead, let's go with a different spirit, whiskey.

It really doesn't get much simpler then a classic Old Fashioned, (or Old Old Fashioned). This one is a little dependent upon the bourbon, you want something with good strong flavors that isn't to over powering. I like to use something like Elmer T. Lee or Eagle Rare. This might be easier if I start with the recipe.

Old Fashioned
2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 tsp. bar sugar or 1 sugar cube or 1/4 oz simple syrup
splash water or soda (if not using simple syrup)

Muddle the sugar and the bitters in the splash of soda (about a teaspoon—no more) until the sugar is dissolved, forming a syrup in the bottom of the glass, if you are starting with simple syrup you can just stir them together. Add the whiskey and the ice, and stir. Garnish with a fresh twist of lemon or orange peel.

I probably managed to confuse things in there with the sugar/sugar cube/simple syrup options. The overall objective is to make a syrup, the advantage to using sugar and water is that you can control how sweet the drink is. The advantage to using simple syrup is that you don't run the risk of having any granules of sugar left in the bottom.

There is one other topic here, bitters. You will see them all over the place in many different flavors, from Angostura to orange to Mole. The are a concentrated flavor, usually made with a high proof alcohol to extract flavors. Think of them as the seasonings for a cocktail, they can add depth and complexity to a drink, but generally should be used in small amounts (there are exceptions to this, but that is for a different post).