Ahh, whiskey – its cozy warmth is the perfect thing to sip on during the cooler months of fall and winter. It’s also the perfect base to build all sorts of cocktails especially that Golden Aged classic, the Old Fashioned!
Did you know that the Old Fashioned is the closest relative to the first original cocktail? The first cocktail consisted mainly of spirit, bitters and sweetener (and water in the form of ice) and there are a great many variations you can riff on.
The latest season of my cocktail show Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen is full of Old Fashioned variations to try.
My ROOT Bourbon Old Fashioned with Carbonated Cherries!
My Evander Old Fashioned uses two of my favorite spirits – rye whiskey and gin! Stirred with Cointreau, housemade Spiced Angostura syrup and a dash of peach bitters, this spin on the classic turns it on its head.
For a real flavor of fall my Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned combines the sweetness of real maple syrup with bourbon as well as a dash of both Orange and Creole bitters for an overall smooth, sipping experience.
So grab that bottle of whiskey, pull out your mixing glass and stir yourself an Old Fashioned cocktail today! –Kathy
Evander Old Fashioned
The Spiced Angostura Syrup is also delicious stirred or shaken into other classic cocktails such as a Collins, or a Manhattan. For a demo on how to make this drink and how to make the Spiced Angostura Syrup, check out www.LiquidKitchen.tv.
Makes 1 drink
3/4 ounce Martin Miller’s Gin
1 ounce Bulleit Rye
1/4 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce Spiced Angostura Syrup (recipe follows)
Dash Fee Brother Peach Bitters
Garnish: lemon peel disk
Measure the gin, rye, Cointreau, syrup, and peach bitters into a mixing glass. Fill glass three-quarters with ice. Stir with a barspoon. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with fresh ice or a Glace Luxury Ice Sphere. Spritz lemon disk over drink then tuck in the drink.
Spiced Angostura Syrup
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup honey
5 cloves, crushed
1 –inch piece of cinnamon stick, crushed
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. Angoursta Bitters
Bring water, honey, spices and bitters to a boil in a small pan. Immediately remove from the heat and let spices infuse for 1 hour. Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer. Then stir in the lemon juice. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™
Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned
Real maple syrup is so tasty in this cocktail – it adds not only a touch of sweetness but also a depth of flavor. Be sure to use a high quality maple syrup and keep your maple syrup refrigerated when not using. For a demo on how to make this drink, check out www.LiquidKitchen.tv.
Makes 1 cocktail
2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounces REAL maple syrup (store in a squirt bottle or small decorative bottle with a fine pouring tip)
1 dash Bitter Truth Orange Bitters
1 dash Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
Garnish: orange disk
Measure bourbon, maple syrup and bitters into a mixing glass. Fill 3/4 with ice and stir swiftly for 20 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into an Old Fashioned glass. Squeeze orange disk over top of drink and drop in.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™
