The Old Fashioned cocktail is my favorite. I have tried it in many forms, in many bars and in many restaurants. The basic recipe is simple. Bourbon or rye whiskey, muddled sugar, bitters, a cherry (I don’t use those nasty fake red ones) and orange or lemon peel. There are lots of variables and most bars and restaurants add their own spin but basically that’s it.
Bittermilk, a local company in Charleston makes a great bourbon barrel aged old fashioned mix. It saves me from the sticky mess of the sugar and cherries.
With that said, making an Old Fashioned at home is pretty easy and my preference. This way I can add more or less of any ingredients to my taste and mood. Maybe I double the sugar or bitters but most likely I’d double the bourbon or rye. After poking around the interwebs, I found the below video by Crepes of Wrath. She walks you through making an old fashioned and it is beautiful. This is my go to recipe and method. Check it out:
Crepes of Wrath Old Fashioned Cocktail
Orange peel, sugar cube, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 3 ounces bourbon, rye, or whiskey, 2 ice cubes, lemon peel, Maraschino cherry
Anyone who knows me, knows I love food, Star Wars, The North Carolina Tar Heels and bourbon (not particularly in that order). I have been “collecting” bourbon since I got out of college, so I’ve got a very, very nice collection of stuff you can’t get anymore. All that to say, I really like bourbon. Adding anything to a perfect drink was hard for me. I have come around and appreciate what the added ingredients bring. I still want to taste the whiskey, so a strong old fashioned is perfect for me. Below is a video and some photos of old fashioned drinks from a few spots around my town. The video is from Husk Greenville, one of my favorite restaurants. They actually pump smoke into a mason jar so you get a cool smokey flavor while you sip.
Call Me Ol’ Fashioned at Husk Greenville, SC
Medley Bros. Bourbon, Hearth Smoked Sugar, Orange Peel, Husk Bitters Blend
one foodie 