Day 5 #30for30 - Old Fashioned

Old fashioned. Easy. Simple. Straight to the point. Alot of Modern things take alot of dips, and turns, and dives, and complicate things... But doing it the "Old Fashioned" way(as my dad used to say) makes things so much easier. Which brings us to Day 5 of the 30 for 30, the "Old Fashioned"

If you notice a trend with the first 5 posts its been Gin and Whisky. Back in the old days those were the most popular spirits, and most readily available. The first noted use of the Old fashioned was at a gentleman's club in Kentucky in the 1880s, when a patron asked for a cocktail using Bourbon Whisky. The recipe is said to have been invented by a bartender at that club, and popularized by a club member and bourbon distiller, Colonel James E. Pepper, who brought it to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bar in New York City. The name Old Fashioned references the combination's age. It is possibly the first drink to be called a cocktail. Now on to what exactly is the old fashioned and the recipe... Well here is the recipe for the perfect Old Fashioned.

Old Fashioned
2oz Bourbon Whisky
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Splash of water
1 Maraschino Cherry
1 Orange Wedge
Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in bourbon, fill with ice cubes, and stir.

There are many ways you can make this drink, as many different bartenders produce this in many variations. I always hear customers say I want a properly made Old Fashioned. Myself personally I don't muddle the fruit into a paste, just lightly just so that it adds a little color to it. But those are for my drinking purposes. For most of my clientele, I use Simple syrup instead of sugar. Simple Syrup eliminates the chance of undissolved sugar being left in the drink and killing that last sip. Or in some cases I use the juice from the Cherry, and leave the muddled cherry at the bottom of the glass.

So if you are in Chicago, The best Old Fashioned Ive ever had(outside of my own of course.. You can come see me at the South Loop Hotel Bar for one. Shameless Plug) is at Zed 451 in the River North section of the city. All the bartenders there make excellent Old Fashioned

So next time you are at the bar and are feeling adventurous, do it the "Old Fashioned" way and enjoy yourself one..

Until Next time
Mr.Mixologist