It’s time for evenings bundled up in your favorite hoodie with good company and good drinks. The Old Fashioned is one of my favorite cocktails, and I’m sure a few of you appreciate them just as much. Even though there are only 3 ingredients, you can still get quite versatile. Brandy, cherries, sprite and grenadine do NOT go in this drink. A classic Old Fashioned is 2 oz. of bourbon, a sugar cube, bitters, and an orange peel garnish. To make things even easier, I make a simple syrup out of demerara sugar to avoid having a granulated beverage. If you go this route, use about a half ounce of simple syrup in lieu of a sugar cube. Around the holidays, you can switch up the bitters to cranberry or cherry, or substitute a spicier rye for the bourbon. Try throwing a sprig of rosemary in your simple syrup and let it sit overnight. Get creative, and I’m sure you will impress your friends and family while still enjoying one of the most classic cocktails in America.
Recipe:
- Start with a rocks glass and a large ice cube.
- Add 4 dashes of Trinity or Angostura bitters.
- Add 1/3 oz. of demerara simple syrup.
- Pour in 2 oz. of your favorite bourbon. (Mine is Blanton’s or Weller)
- Take your orange peel, give it a good twist and use it to stir all of the ingredients.
- Sip, savor, repeat.
Contributed by Graham Luterbach, a liquor specialist with Edina Liquor.
