Rich, spice, aromatic
We love an Old Fashioned alongside bacon-wrapped appetizers or even cassoulet. With wild game? Glorious.
The word “cocktail” first appeared in 1806, in a New York newspaper: “Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters—it is vulgarly called a bittered sling. . . .” From this specific definition, the word became shorthand, over time, for all mixed drinks.
The Old Fashioned is the cocktail from which all others sprang. Originally, this drink was a mix of water, sugar, whiskey, and bitters. Over the years, it (d)evolved into a sticky-sweet concoction with muddled orange and a maraschino cherry. In Wisconsin, where the Old Fashioned “survived” Prohibition in this form with a base spirit of brandy instead of whiskey, the cocktail is synonymous with supper clubs and fish fries. Nowadays, cocktail purists fret over any fruity additions, and we omit them here.
2 ounces (60 ml) whiskey or brandy
1 Demerara sugar cube
2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 teaspoon water
Orange peel, for garnish
Place the sugar cube in a chilled rocks glass. Dash in the bitters and muddle, coating the bottom and the sides of the glass. Drop in a large cube of ice, then add spirit and water, and stir. To garnish, twist the peel over the surface of the cocktail to express the oil. Drop the peel into the drink.