old fashioned

I just came back from a 5-day cocktail extravaganza known as Tales of the Cocktail. While I will share all sorts of details so you can live (and learn) vicariously … here’s a recipe I picked up that relates to the Old Fashioned kick I’ve been on lately.

One of the most popular events was the Employees Only takeover of a New Orleans bar called One Eyed Jack’s. Employees Only is a fancy New York bar voted best bar by all sorts of fancy institutions. So, everyone wanted to go and it was more than a wee bit crowded.

It was actually too crowded for me, even though I was all hip on the list and whatnot. But you don’t have to wait in any lines or be on any lists to try one of the evening’s recipes. Look at what I’ve done for you. You’re welcome!

I shared my basic Old Fashioned recipe earlier, so here’s the Employees Only version that’s a bit fancified. They used Zacapa Rum 23 in their take on and Old Fashioned. I usually don’t specify a brand if I can help it, but who am I to improve on their recipe? (If you don’t have that you could use any aged rum you like. You want a deep character for your spirit, so if you don’t have a well-aged rum, try a whiskey as you would in a traditional Old Fashioned.)

Employees Only Old Fashioned
1 1/4 ounces Zacapa Rum 23
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
1 dash orange bitters (Reagans’, Angostura, or homemade)
1/4 ounce water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cube brown sugar
Lemon zest for garnish
Orange zest for garnish

Place sugar and brown sugar cube into a rocks glass. Add Angostura Bitters, Peychaud’s Bitters, orange bitters and water. Muddle sugar cube. Add rum into rocks glass. Stir well. Garnish with lemon and orange zest.

Photos courtesy of Tales of the Cocktail

Cocktail history is a little fuzzy (no big surprise, huh?). As far as we know the Old Fashioned was the first cocktail. Hundreds of years later, it’s still an awesome drink. While this drink has gotten many embellishments over the years, the classic recipe is just spirit, sugar, and bitters. But you can do the “sugar” part a few different ways and still have the traditional tipple.

If you use a sugar cube, you’ll be getting one teaspoon of sugar in your drink. An easier (and smoother) way to get the same amount of sugar is to use a teaspoon of rich simple syrup. The “rich” just means you make the syrup by cooking 2 parts sugar with 1 part water. An even smoother way is to use a teaspoon of gomme syrup, which is a rich simple syrup with a little gum Arabic added as an emulsifier. All three drinks will be fantastic, but the gomme will add a silky texture and fullness to the drink that will make it even more luxurious. You can get the recipe for gomme syrup from my post on Serious Eats.

Whether you make gomme or not, you can (and should!) make yourself and Old Fashioned.

Old Fashioned

2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
1 teaspoon gomme syrup or rich simple syrup
2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Put the syrup and bitters in an Old Fashioned glass and stir, then add a couple of large ice cubes and the whiskey. Stir until well chilled. Optional: Garnish with an orange twist or slice.

(If you prefer to use a sugar cube or teaspoon of fine sugar, you may want to add a drop or two of water when you mix it with the bitters)