The Cocktail Spirit with Robert HessOld Fashioned
The player will show in this paragraph
The Old Fashioned represents what is perhaps the oldest form of cocktail known. Unfortunately it has fallen out of favor these days, and I rarely see people ordering it. I suppose this could be partially due to the fact that most bartenders don't know how to properly make it anymore. The atrocities I often see inflicted on this drink include leaving out the bitters, and topping it off with water or soda. Please, stop the madness and let's start making this drink properly again!
-
Recipe
The Old Fashioned
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- dash Angostura Bitters
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey
half fill with ice and stir
express oils of one large piece orange peel into glass
add peel to glass
top with ice
stir
garnish with maraschino cherry
-
Email to a Friend
- Share Elsewhere
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
- Links/Sponsors
-
Podcasts
- You must be logged in to subscribe to our podcasts.
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Google
Live
SphereIt
StumbleUpon
Technorati
TwitThis
Whiskey Sour
Flamed Orange Zest
Mint Julep
Derby
Tip Top
Comments
Make sure you watch this episode all the way to the end, there is a little added bit that I think is a fun way to “enhance” the old fashioned.
I have been introduced to this show when there were only a couple of videos online, and I must say that I am happy to see that its level of professionalism did not drop a bit. In a matter of fact it even gets better with each and every episode. What I especially value about this show Mr. Hess (and the production team, of course) is that you also tell about the background stories, as well as some of your personal experiences. Keep the good work up!
Thank you so much for your comment S. Matzke. As a small company we know that quality counts. We also know that true fans of the show come back every week because of the story Robert tells. I hope you continue to enjoy the show for years to come.
Sincerely,
Colin Kimball
President, Content Development
Small Screen Network
I think so far this is my favorite episode solely because of the enthusiasm Robert has at the beginning. After reading much of drinkboy.com I realized I had to drop everything I was doing to watch the Old Fashioned episode as soon as I saw it was up!
Very good show Robert. I like your idea on the tequila old fashioned I’ll have to try that with some grapefruit bitters and maybe a little Agave syrup or Agavero.
Brant
Great episode Robert! and the team of Small Screen Network. this show just keeps getting better as time goes by I watch every episode. I think this show is great to watch no matter what your experience level is. This show should make it to Television!
Great episode… I was actually waiting for this one, because reading your writeup on the Old Fashioned, Mr. Hess, is actually what got me into cocktails.
I actually specified no soda on the first one I ordered, just in case… So thanks!
This recipe looks great as far as using an orange in an Old Fashioned. I’ve tried a couple other recipes and I was not impressed. Thanks for the tip !
Thanks for doing the Old Fashioned, Robert. Took ya long enough!
I wanted to remind everyone that Robert has a wonderful, detailed essay on the history and development of the Old Fashioned cocktail on his DrinkBoy website, entitled “Renewing an Old Fashion”, which features dozens of recipe variations throughout the years. It’s an excellent piece of cocktail scholarship, and should be of particular interest to all our fellow Old Fashioned lovers.
Glad that everybody has enjoyed this episode so much! Since we filmed this episode, I did go back and work on the “Tequila” Old Fashioned. Lemon Bitters along with the Agave syrup works really well for that. Haven’t tired it yet with Grapefruit bitters… guess I know one of the drinks I’ll be mixing up tonight! :->
Great episode. After chasing the old-fashioned from bar to bar myself, I have never had a completely satisfactory experience with the old fashioned, although my love of the manhattan has made me feel like I was yet to find the ideal recipe. Bravo. Now I can make this drink with confidence while I’m behind the stick.
I have been a dedicated viewer ever since I found this site. I appreciate the care put in to every aspect of this series. Much gratitude.
Great episode. Love the show.
Why not use orange bitters in the old fashioned? Or would it become to orangy?
I use Regan’s Orange Bitters sometimes, works great.
Brant,
I gave your “Grapefruit Bitters” idea a try, and even did a writeup about it over on “The Spirit World” (http://thespiritworld.net/2007/10/01/tequila-old-fashioned/)
-Robert
Matt, Owen,
Yes, Orange bitters can work great in this drink, Regan’s, Fee’s, the Bitter Truth, Hermes, or the hopefully soon to be available Angostura Orange Bitters all work nicely, with each providing it’s own slightly different character. You have to use more than a dash or two in order to get the full effect. I know that Gary Regan himself loves to use quite a few heavy dashes in his… perhaps he’s just trying to get folks to go through more of his bitters that way :->
Just out of curiosity, what sugar-to-water ratio do you use for your simple syrup?
Thanks for the great videos! I’ve been a fan since the first episodes!
Robert,
While we’re talking about simple syrup, I was wondering how much vodka you put in your simple syrup in order to store it at room temperature? I’ve been using 1 ounce of vodka for every 8 ounces of simple syrup. Is this enough, or not enough?
Matt
Thanks for the “special ending”. I made the flamed old fashioned for some friends and they loved it.
I also (before seeing your update) made several Old Fashioneds that night, and in one I tried the orange bitters in the cocktail but I used just a dash or two like I would with the Angostura. The drink tasted significantly more “whiskeyey” (not a word, but hard to describe the difference). People prefered the Angostura version unanimously. However, next time I will try more orange bitters and see if that cuts (or maybe the correct word is balances) the whiskey better.
I love (!!!) Old Fashioneds and except of muddling any fruit or filling it up with soda, you hardly can do something really wrong…
However I think that the sugar cube adds the real magic!
I take an orange and rub a sugar cube on it (all sides). Then I soak the cube with Angostura Bitters (in this case no Orange Bitters - as you have the freshest orange oil you can imagine!).
Then I add a bit (may be 1 or 1.5 cl) of water (actually I normally use soda, but only because it is handy - at the end there is definitely no more sparkling). Now I muddle the sugar with the back of the bar spoon and stir till it is completely dissolved in the water. I add 2 cubes of ice and 2cl Rye (!) stir and add another 2 cubes of ice and again some Rye and stir and add another couple of cubes of ice and some Rye and stir again!
At the end you can use a lemon or orange twist or half lemon and orange wheels with a brandied cherry (for the moment I like the idea with the twist).
I like more the flamed orange twist over a Cosmopolitan then with an Old Fashioned…
And: the better the whiskey the better the cocktail!
Cheers!
Dominik MJ
Dominick,
Using a sugar cube to rub against the orange rind indeed adds some additional distinctive flavor here, serving much the same purpose as my cutting the orange peel over the glass, and then squeezing the peel into it. It would be interesting to see which extracted more oils.
I specifically use simple syrup in my OF recipes just to get the “water” as far away from the recipe as possible, thus hopefully stopping bartenders from accidently doing the “top off” trick.
I’m not totally sold on the ice-whiskey (stir) ice-whiskey (stir) ice-whiskey (stir) approach. This was popularized in London, where they often proudly reflect on how long it takes them to make an Old Fashioned this way. All the times I’ve had them like this, they are way over watered. The only reason for not adding all the ice at once, is to prevent the ice from popping out of the glass as you stir. I don’t think adding it increments really provides any specific benefit. But I’m definately willing to be wrong on this. Here is where experimentation becomes important in the process.
-Robert
I didn’t thought about the pedagogical dimension. Simple syrup is indeed much better than filling up the drink with soda…
However I am for the ice-stiring-ice method. If you have a closer look on the old fashioned every part of the cocktail has a specific function:
Whiskey is the base (for the aroma - for the whole drink)
Sugar is the aroma enhancer.
Bitters (including orange oils) improving the structure and depth.
Melted Water is taking the alcohol burn (or bite) and adds a certain drinkability…
Definitely there shouldn’t be too much water - however to do a Old Fashioned with 3 ice-whiskey-stirring steps doesn’t make it over-diluted! However you yield a lower temperature (and less further dilution, if the drink is ready).
But I am with you: it depends how you are doing the drink (like all drinks) - overdoing a drink is as fatal as taking too many shortcuts…
I suppose in the end, it really doesn’t matter which approach you use, ice-whiskey-stir, ice-whiskey-stir, ice-whiskey stir, or just ice-whiskey-stir…. as long as the end result is a drink of “this” temperature with “this” amount of whiskey and “this’ amount of added water. Thermal dynamics as they are, it’s more about the “time” taken to make the drink, than the stir once, or stir multiple times approach (for the most part).
Great presentation and content. I am inspired to venture into my well stocked liquor cabinet.
Here are a few suggestions about your presentation:
1. Cut the part about finding an old lemon peel in the squeezer and then rinsing the squeezer from your floor sink (bucket) ?
2. In the introducton traiiler, how about briefly demonstrating how to measure an ounce using different types of shot glasses ?
3. Change the ‘drink boy’ logo on your shirt to ‘The Cocktail Spirit’ or ‘Mixology with Robert Hess’.
4. Label the left column on your Web page as follows:
Ingrediants
a.
b.
c.
etc…
Recipe or Blending or Mixing .... ?
a.
b.
c.
Thanks again. I am going to try the Cosmo tonight !
A very good presentation on what is and how to make an Old Fashioned with whisky. As for whiskies, my tenure at Olaf’s on Telegraph Ave. in Berkely, CA required that we use 100 proof Old Grandad. It was the owner’s preference. We also mixed starting with simple syrup unless the guest watching insisted we mull one or two sugar cubes (along with a piece of ice and the dash of bitters). Again, and not just for the sake of presentation, we flamed wide strips of orange peel with elan and pride knowing the result would entertain as well as add a unique note of caramelized orange. And the marachinos were dark, naturally flavorful cherries. Can’t remember the brand. Granted, they were a showy garnish, but we NEVER used those flame-red colored things with the artificial flavoring. You’ve done your research well and it’s a pleasure to watch you mix.
Nash,
Now why couldn’t YOU have been behind the bar some of those times I ordered an Old Fashioned. You definately sound like you’re hitting on all of the right cylindars there. I need to head down to Berkley and get a good Old Fashioned for a change!
-Robert
Robert,
I came across your website years ago and found your Old Fashioned recipe, entirely at random. I wondered to myself “What is this bitters stuff he speaks of?” I purchased a bottle of it the next time I went food shopping, went right home, and began tinkering with the Old Fashioned. In the three or so years since I believe I have mastered the drink. The problem is, no one else has. I’ve ordered it in bars from Boston to Atlantic City and not once has it even approached even acceptable. Several bartenders didn’t even know what bitters were. One handed it to me in a pint glass topped off with club soda. Yet another made me an excellent Manhattan. When I want one at my local watering hole I usually have to go behind the bar and make it myself. My attempts to get a proper Old Fashioned have often left me dejected, sitting alone in the corner of the bar, sucking down Pabst Blue Ribbons, contemplating my failures. Is there a cocktail you recommend? Something that will satisfy an Old Fashioned drinker but will not stymie the feces-chucking apes that call themselves bartenders.
Mike D,.
Mike,
The problem you relate on finding bartenders who can make a serviceable Old Fashioned, is one that I share with you. The vast majority of OFs I have are swill, changing that situation has been one of my personal goals for several years now. Slowly I see it making a difference, but it often seems too slowly.
Finding the “right” bars that can make the “right” cocktails often makes me feel like I’m researching the script for the next Mission Impossible movie.
The closest I have to a good classic cocktail that can be relatively safe to order, is the “Manhattan”.
-Robert
This is a fine installment, indeed!
I feel fortunate that my first exposure to the Old Fashioned was with an excellent bartender (in Durham, NC) who made me a great one very early in my imbibing career. He muddled the orange and cherry, but otherwise built the drink from the glass up. To me, the Old Fashioned experience take place over time—the gradual mellowing of the whiskey as the ice melts and the sweeter flavors mix in.
My more frequent bar experience is the one you describe Robert. Worst of all, bartenders shake the drink! It comes out tasting like cough syrup.
Sign me up for the Old Fashioned Liberation Army! I will no longer accept a poorly made cocktail.
Robert,
Im hosting a whiskey conference in Louisville in April.
I was thinking a asking a “bar” person to come an talk to the group.
Give me a call.
bill owens 510-886-7418
One other question, Robert: you mentioned your preference for an orange peel twist rather than muddled orange so that you don’t get pulp clogging up the cocktail straw. Do you really sip this through a straw? It hasn’t occurred to me to actually use a cocktail straw before. Please elaborate. Thanks!
Firstly I’d like to congratulate Robert & the team on the show. Its the first one I’ve seen and I’m quite frankly amazed at the professionalism and overall presentation. Just a query though regarding the flamed orange zest. Does using matches impart a sulphur like metallic flavour/aroma to the drink? I would’ve thought a standard gas lighter (not Zippo) would be less offensive?
Cheers
Jas,
Thank you for the compliment and your support. We hope you enjoy the current episodes as well as the future episodes we recently shot that will be coming out in March.
As for the match/lighter question, I will let the scientists in the community answer that one: ->
Thank you for watching!
Colin Kimball
President, Content Development
Producer
Small Screen Network
Jas, the key to using a wooden match, and something I should have pointed out, is to not flame the orange peel too quickly after lighting the match, this allows the sulfer and chemicals to burn off first so you just have the burning wood. The problem with a ligher, is that since it is burning gas, that imparts a bit of flavor as well. I suppose the “best’ way to do this would be to light a simple stick on a candle, and use that. (or a piece of spagetti)
Great show,Robert.I like the way orange is used in an old fashioned way..thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the great video on “The Old Fashioned”. This along with the Manhattan have also been my classic drinks to “test” the quality of the bartender. Do you request a specific whiskey or just see what they use?
I had an interesting experience recently when I ordered a Manhattan from the table at a restaurant. The waitress came back and said that the bartender couldn’t make the drink because they didn’t have any bitters. That impressed me with the integrity of the bartender, but the fact that the bar did not have any bitters really disappointed me in the stocking of the bar by the restaurant.
Whiskey in an Old Fashioned… if the bartender asks me which whiskey I want, I’ll usually pick one, most common for me is Maker’s Mark, but there are of course many other fine ones to choose from as well.
I was at a fancy steak restaurant in Vegas recently and the only bitters they had behind the bar was Peychaud’s (and since I’ve been there three years in a row now, I know that this is all they ever carry). Which they proceeded to use in a Manhattan as well as an Old Fashioned, when I tried to point out their error here, they couldn’t quite understand. So I switched to drinks that actually work well with Peychaud’s :->
Robert,
What kind of bitters did Jerry Thomas use in this drink? I’m guessing that he made his own. I’m guessing that during prohibition, bitters did not sell well in the US and that after repeal (Happy 75th Repeal Day, by the way!) most bartender’s just neglected to use them at all.
As for the muddling of orange and maraschino, I’m sure that is just laziness, since the proper way to do it takes some time.
Blair Frodelius
Jerry’s version of the “Old Fashioned” was simply a “Whiskey Cocktail”, as published in his 1862 edition of “How To Mix Drinks”. Where it lists the bitters as “Bogart’s”... which is believed to be the publishers misspelling of “Boker’s”. This bitters unfortunately hasn’t been made for over a hundred years as far as I know. I’ve had a chance to taste some, and it is different than Angostura, with a heavy, but not overpowering, “Cardammom” flavor. The folks over at The-Bitter-Truth.com are attempting to work up a version of this, which they are calling “Jerry Thomas Bitters”.
Here is the whiskey cocktail recipe as recorded by Mr. Thomas:
109. Whiskey Cocktail
(Use small bar glass.)
3 or 4 dashes of gum syrup.
2 do. Bitters (Bogart’s)
1 wine-glass of whiskey, and a piece of lemon peel.
Fill one-third full of fine ice; shake and strain in a fancy red wine-glass.
You can find more details about the overall history/evolution of the Old Fashioned here:
http://www.drinkboy.com/Essays/RenewingAnOldFashion.html
-Robert
This, is an exceptional cocktail. I can see why you have a particular penchant for this cocktail Robert.
I don’t know why I haven’t tried an Old Fashioned before, but earlier today, after discovering sugar cubes in my local mall a few days ago I downloaded this particular episode and decided to give one a go. Something about sugar cubes must have thrown me off until now, and funnily enough, I didn’t even use on in the drink I’m sipping now.
1/2 oz of 1:1 simple syrup, a few dashes of Angostura Aromatic Bitters, 4 ice cubes, a stir, 2 oz of Bourbon, 4 more ice cubes, another stir, a maraschino cherry on top. Heaven. This is an unbelievable cocktail. The most amazing part, the fact that my girlfriend who normally cringes at the thought of anything with more than 2 (Australian) standard drinks of alcohol in a drink with little more else actually approved of the Old Fashioned! And I didn’t even use any orange for garnish!
I just know this cocktail is destined to be a favorite of mine.
Joel.
Enjoying your Old Fashion mix sans the orange (none on hand, shamefull?) Still pretty refreshing especially in this heat!
I came across this in my surfing and made my first old fashioned today, as directed. What a great drink!
Mr. Hess,
I came across your videos looking for how to make a better drink. What a find! Thank you for all of your hard work in creating these videos. I was able to construct your “Old Fashioned” and was amazed at the results. I look forward to watching more of your videos in the following days and hope to see many more.
Thank you,
Robert,
It was your original Drink Boy article on the Old Fashioned that got me to start experimenting with cocktails in the first place, so it was a lot of fun to see this video. Thanks so much!
Several years later my current favorite recipe uses Sazarac rye and Regan’s orange bitters. But the experimentation continues!
This looks good. I totally agree about the club soda, and not muddling in the cherry. Yours is very similar to Chris McMillan’s. He uses a sugar cube, saturates it with bitters, splashes in a little water and muddles into solution. Then he takes an orange zest, about the size of quarter, maybe a little larger, and muddles that into the sugar/bitters solution. Fill glass with ice and add two oz bourbon. Give a little stir and garnish with half an orange wheel and a cherry. Simply divine!
Yes, Chris makes a terrific Old Fashioned. He started doing the “muddled peel” because of one of my rants about the whole muddled pulp business, and that got me to realize that I could simply use the orange peel in the drink, and started doing an orange twist, or squeezing the oils over the drink instead. So I inspired Chris, and then Chris in turn inspired me.
Ill second that. I just made Chris’ muddled orange peel old fashioned, and it is excellent. The smell of the bitters and the orange together is enough to make me want to make the drink over and over.
Robert, that’s awesome that you inspired Chris!
Nik, yes, be careful… I was making these at a party the other night and that’s exactly what happened!
When I make these, I like to let my guest get a sniff every step of the way. First, the bitters muddled into solution, next the orange zest added, and finally combined with the bourbon. An aroma no one can resist!
Ringing in the new year with my newly perfected Old Fashioned thanks to you Robert. I would have never guessed that skipping the orange/cherry muddle was the answer. Cheers, and happy new year!
Robert,
I have come to rely on your show as the go to source for reliable cocktail recipe videos on the net. I am especially fond of this episode because my experience with the Old Fashioned was virtually identical to yours. I didn’t know anything about cocktails, when I discovered a mysterious bottle in the back of my cupboard that my brother had left behind: Angostura bitters. On the bottle, of course, is the recipe for an Old-Fashioned. Being a lover of bourbon, I decided to try it. I didn’t have any soda or cherries, so I made one very similar to the one you prescribe here, and I loved it! It instantly became my favorite thing to drink. But after ordering them at bars, I realized there was something very different and special about a properly-made Old-Fashioned.
Thanks for a great series!
Will
p.s. How do I use kumquats besides as a garnish? I have seen recipes calling for muddled kumquats, but they suffer from the same maraschino cherry carcase dilemma. They are just extra material in the bottom of the glass.
Will, I (and others here) are on a quest to try to re-establish the Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktai in all of it’s formal glory. The more people that we can get to understand this drink, and it’s optimum preparation, the better!
As for kumquats, I’ve frankly never used them in cocktails, but they would make a lovely, and delectable garnish in the right drink. I’d go for something light and refreshing, and perhaps served tall, with ice, and soda (or sparkling wine). Since their flavor is somewhat subtle, if I were to use them as a muddled ingredient, I’d try using spirits which are themselves more subtle. I seem to recall their being a variation of the Caipirinha which some folks make in which they muddle kumquats in.
Robert, I’ve read that you often use the Old Fashioned as a sort of a litmus test for the worthiness of a new bartender. So, what if it comes back full of club soda? What if they don’t know how to make it at all, as is often the case? Do you automatically dismiss that bartender and take your business elsewhere?
Trevor, the Old Fashioned is just one of my touchstones. I don’t use it as a pass/fail, but more as just a one way to measure things up. I almost always get a badly made Old Fashioned, so I never dismiss a bartender or an establishment out of hand if they serve me a glass of swamp water. I simply try to understand from “how” they improperly made it what their actual approach and understanding of cocktails are.
Recently I was served an Old Fashioned at a very high end steak joint, where they proudly listed it as one of their house specialties. Even carefully pointing out that they were just using “branch water” (which is sometimes seen as the “water” component in some of the older recipes), but “sparkling branch water”... It could work, if used only in a very small amount, so I was curious how they would proceed. The bartender, made a perfect Old Fashioned (using Woodford Reserve)... then proceeded to add around three ounces of “sparkling branch water” while he proudly pointed out that this is what he was doing. Needless to say it was a bad drink. And cost $15 to boot.
What I learned here, was that this was a place that was “trying” to serve a grand classic, using methodology that they had done “some” research to discover the right way to do it, but really knew nothing about the drink at all, and so ended up with a mess… this hopefully means that they will gradually be heading in the right direction, and perhaps with some properly presented advise to the right person, their program will head that way quicker.
It is also important to note that the OF isn’t my only touchstone, There are a set of three such drinks I order which I’ve learned work pretty well to help me get a good feeling for a bar and the bartender.
Robert,
Do you ever attempt to teach the bartenders the mixological history of an Old Fashioned? I would think if the house weren’t too busy, most would be interested at least and would try making them more historically accurate.
I almost always specify how I want something made when I’m out. Brand name, ratios, stirred or shaken, etc… This may make me seem picayune, but then again, I don’t want to blow $15 on a lousy drink.
Blair
http://GoodSpiritsNews.spaces.live.com
Blair,
I rarely “get into it” on my first visit to a bar. I usually just order my drinks try to get an overall feeling for the vibe, customers, and the types of drinks they serve. If I like the place, or think they have promise, I’ll come back for several more trips, and eventually build up a conversation with the bartenders.
I suppose someone needs to ask . . . what are your other test drinks?
I often start with a sidecar, because it is a good test AND if they do it “wrong” (IMO) it usually isn’t too terrible anyway. Then an OF. Finally maybe a Mai Tai, but its rare to find a Mai Tai as good as what I make using your recipe.
My typical touchstone drinks when visiting a bar for the first time are:
Old Fashioned
“Personal Specialty” - I’ll just casually ask the bartender if they have a particular cocktail they do really good, or that they particularly recommend. This is to sort of to see how proud they are of what they do and what they are capable of. You can learn a lot about a bartender by their reaction to this.
Then for my last drink, I’ll ask for a slightly obscure drink which they may not know, but I’ve already seen they have all of the ingredients for. I specifically am NOT doing “stump the bartender here”, but instead carefully ask them: “by any chance do you know how to make a ...”, in such a way that I’m already putting it out there that it’s perfectly fine if they don’t. When they don’t, I will explain to them the recipe. This helps me see both how they approach a “new” cocktail, as well as how they react to the customer “teaching” them a new cocktail.
You can see more details about these three touchstones in the articles I wrote about them several years ago:
http://www.drinkboy.com/Articles/Article.aspx?itemid=10
http://www.drinkboy.com/Articles/Article.aspx?itemid=11
http://www.drinkboy.com/Articles/Article.aspx?itemid=12
-Robert
It seems to me, one of the major factors in ruining an Old Fashioned is topping it off with all that soda water. I will say that back in “bartending school”, that’s how I was taught to make them, along with muddling in all the garbage. That’s the method I used when I first started out. I remember an older guy ordered one from me once and he was just impressed that I used bitters. Never any complaints though.
It wasn’t until I caught Chris McMillian’s YouTube videos and later your articles and videos, that it finally dawned on me.. THIS is how you make a cocktail! No more bar mix, no more sweet and sour, no more watering down with club soda as filler.
So back to the the club soda in an OF. Would you ever just tell the bartender “NO SODA WATER” before they start making your drink? Because if you take out the soda, even if they muddle in the cherry and orange slice, it would still pass an acceptable drink.
I would also mention that I have found it very important to get high quality oranges for this drink. I used to get regular navel oranges at the big box supermarket, but then found they had a slightly bitter, chemical taste to them. After buying organic oranges at the health food store, I learned that the peels of these oranges had a much richer and more natural tasting essence. I wonder if the regular oranges have some sort of chemical/preservative/pesticide applied to them that gives them this bitter flavor? In any case, now I always get organic citrus fruits for all of my drinks.
Will,
I’ve gone the organic route as well. What I’ve found interesting is that the “shelf life” of organic fruits is about half that of non-organic. As well, the peels seem to be softer, making it easier to make a twist.
Blair Frodelius
http://goodspiritsnews.spaces.live.com
Trevor,
Sometimes I do give that final little instruction of “skip the soda/water”, but usually I tend to want to see exactly how the bartender will finish the drink. Frankly, during my first visit I take the position that it really isn’t about me making sure I get the best drink possible, but just trying to get a firm understanding of what the bar is doing. I typically get the best Old Fashioneds at bars where the bartender doesn’t know what they are, and I then have the opportunity to tell them how.
-Robert
Ha! That’s been my experience as well!
Robert,
Do you use simple syrup with a 1:1 ratio, or a 2:1 ratio for this drink?
Lewis
My preference is for what is known as a “rich” simple syrup, which is a 2:1 ratio. I like it because it measures more like sugar (although not quite).