Whether you are 21 or 90, a Cosmo drinker or an IPA drinker, odds are that you’ve at least tried an Old Fashioned. It’s one of the few drinks you can order at just about any bar, nightclub, or restaurant and end up with something involving whiskey, sugar, and bitters. Now, will it be a sugar cube or simple syrup? Muddled orange or cherry? Bourbon or rye? I prefer mine with rye whiskey, simple syrup, and without the muddled fruit, but to each his own.
So why can we find some variation of an Old Fashioned just about anywhere? Well, for starters, it’s usually pretty good, so people feel confident ordering one. The ingredients can be found behind just about every bar. It’s also been around for quite a while. In fact, the Old Fashioned is the original “cocktail.” Back before cocktail meant any mixed drink, it was a style of drink. Specifically, it was a combination of sugar, water (i.e., ice), spirit of any kind, and bitters. The first recorded definition was actually written in 1806 in a New York newspaper, immediately preceding a not-so-subtle jab at a particular political party, but I’ll just leave that there and stick to drinks.
There’s beauty in the simplicity of this drink, but I can’t help myself from playing around with the template to create something new. I encourage y’all to swap an ingredient or two around and see what you can come up with at home. Maybe you’ll create your own new favorite.
Here’s a take on the classic Old Fashioned I created using one of my favorite autumnal spirits, apple brandy.
Apple Bondage
- 1 oz bonded apple brandy
- 1/2 oz bonded bourbon
- 1/2 oz bonded rye whiskey
- 1 tsp cinnamon syrup
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 dash cacao bitters
Add everything to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with allspice dram (aka pimento dram).
Garnish with a lemon twist.
No, not apple-flavored brandy, but brandy made from apples. All brandy is a distillate of one fruit or another. More often than not, it is grape-based (e.g., cognac). The cheap stuff that you find on the bottom shelf with colorful labels touting fruit flavors is usually artificially flavored and sweetened. If you are so inclined, look for one that does not include the word “flavored” on the label. This may be a little more hard to find than your favorite cotton candy vodka, but look for Laird’s (applejack or brandy) or Copper & Kings brands. I’ve had success with both. If you can’t find any American apple brandy and you feel like dropping an extra couple bucks, grab yourself a bottle of Calvados, a French apple (or sometimes pear) brandy. It won’t be an exact match, but it will get you in the ballpark. Plus, you can feel a little extra fancy.
If you find yourself without all of the odds and ends listed, try coming up with your own recipe. Or keep it simple and mix up the classic Old Fashioned. For my favorite spec, swap the blend of spirits for two ounces of rye, the cinnamon syrup for a 2:1 simple syrup, and drop the cacao bitters and allspice rinse. Timeless and delicious.
