Find comfort in a classic cocktail
An adaptable Old-Fashioned cocktail
Comfort is often sought in the familiar: sitcom reruns, well-worn books, family recipes, even an old relationship. Just as something from our past can act as a balm when the future feels uncertain, so, too, can a classic cocktail.
Reaching into the drink archives doesn’t have to be solely rooted in nostalgia — it also can open the door to simple, adaptable, established recipes, ideal at a time when stocking up on new bottles isn’t always easy.
One such recipe is the Old-Fashioned, one of the oldest drinks in the cocktail canon.
Correctly composed, it’s strong and sweet without being too much of either. And, perhaps most important for the time we are in, it’s impressively malleable.
For example, don’t have bourbon or rye? Allison Kave, a founder of Butter & Scotch in Brooklyn, New York, swaps in brandy.
“It’s not quite as aggressive as whiskey in an OldFashioned,” she said. “There’s something a lot lighter about it in flavor and in mouthfeel.”
No brandy? Reach for an aged rum or even gin. Or add a mix of tequila and mezcal.
And use whichever bitters you have: angostura, orange or otherwise.
Needless to say, a rye Old-Fashioned and a rum Old-Fashioned taste quite different, but both work. The beauty of the OldFashioned is to use and appreciate what you have; let the rest go. in the cocktail
One thing holds in these trying times, if it’s nearing cocktail hour and you’re drinking, go simple and go easy — mostly on yourself.
For the 2-to-1 simple syrup:
For the cocktail: ounces whiskey (such as bourbon or rye), brandy, rum or gin (or even 1 ounces tequila plus ounce mezcal) 3to4 1. Prepare the simple syrup: 2. Prepare the cocktail: In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine the whiskey, prepared syrup and bitters. Stir well-chilled, about 15 seconds. (If using a sugar cube, muddle it with a dash of water and the 3 to 4 dashes bitters before stirring it with the whiskey over ice.) Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an ice-filled rocks glass and finish with the citrus twist.