The Old Fashioned

If I had to pick my favorite cocktail, I'd say it is the Old Fashioned. There are a number of reasons for this choice: number 1, I really like bourbon and rye (you can use either of these); secondly, they are super easy to make and I almost always have all the ingredients; third, this drink was named in my hometown, Louisville, in the late 1800s. Also, I like the OF because I really don't have to measure anything. I drop a sugar cube in a glass, add a little soda water, throw in some bitters, muddle a bit, and then pour some bourbon in a glass. I only dirty the glass and the muddler, and they are quick to make. The Old Fashioned has a long history--the drink has its origins in the early 1800s and was essentially any combination of a spirit, bitters, sugar, and water. As time went on, other ingredients were added and by the 1880s, this original recipe was called the "Old Fashioned." The rumor goes that this name was given to the bourbon-based version in Louisville at a club named the Pendennis Club.

As I said, the original recipe could include rye, bourbon, whiskey, brandy, gin, and so on. In fact, in The Savoy Cocktail Book, Harry Craddock says, "This Cocktail can be made with Brandy, Gin, Rum, etc., instead of Rye Whiskey." Modern-day Old Fashioneds, though, generally use some whiskey (bourbon, rye, or plain ol' whiskey) or, if you live in Wisconsin, brandy.

That takes me to the monstrosity known as a Wisconsin Old Fashioned (see this New York Times article on the matter). The main difference with this is, of course, the brandy, but there is also the trouble with what should be seltzer water. Wisconites take their Old Fashioneds in a couple of different ways: sweet, with 7-Up instead of seltzer; or sour, with sour mix or Squirt instead of seltzer. Both versions are flat-out too sweet, because they aren't just using a splash of the 7-Up or Squirt, they top off the whole drink with that. Warning: wicked hangover in the works. This state loves these so much you can even buy them premade, in a bottle.

If this is your preferred variety of Old Fashioned, well, to each their own. I, too, came to this drink from a decidedly not old fashioned route--the fruit salad version of the Old Fashioned. These came to popularity in the 2000s and involved muddling an orange slice, a cherry, etc., in with the sugar, bitters, and soda water. I drank the OF this way for a few years before I finally took the dive and started drinking them the Don Draper way. Let's not ignore the popularity of Mad Men as an important turn in the history of the Old Fashioned. That's how I was introduced to this glorious mix. Don and I will always have this drink in common.

Anyway, to the recipe:

• 1 sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon loose sugar)
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters (Angostura is just a suggestion; I like orange bitters in mine, which could be Angostura Orange, Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6, or Bittercube Orange bitters)
• 2 oz spirit of choice (I am a big fan of Bulleit Rye in these, but for this one, we used Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon)
• Splash of club soda (or seltzer)

In an old-fashioned glass (get it?), add the sugar cube, bitters, and club soda. Muddle to a slurry using a muddler or wooden spoon. Add ice and bourbon or rye. Give a slight stir to the mix, but keep the slurry in the bottom. Garnish with a large orange peel.

I like bourbon and rye on the rocks, and this is just a nice extension from that. By not stirring the sugar slurry in, you get a nice kick of sweetness on the last drink. The orange from the bitters and the garnish makes it citrus-y, and the bourbon or rye gives it a nice caramel-y and vanilla flavor. This is a drink you can really make your own; you can try different bitters (but I'd stay in the aromatic or citrus families) and different spirits until you find a mix you can call your own.