Ah, the Old Fashioned, the world's first classic cocktail, and a recipe that has endured for hundreds of years.
This drink represents the original definition of 'a cocktail',
meaning a drink containing a spirit, sugar, water, and bitters.
Ever since it was first documented by Jerry Thomas in 1862, Bartenders have tried to improve,
enhance, and alter the old fashioned, sometimes beyond recognition.
But, the original recipe endures.
So, to celebrate the launch of my beautifully designed t-shirt and pay homage to the O. G. cocktail,
We're gonna make the original recipe here, as well as three of my favorite variations. Okay, that was a little too Superman.
Alright, let's start with the classic. We're actually gonna build this directly in a rocks glass.
So start with one sugar cube, and drop it in, then hit that with two dashes of Angostura bitters.
Then add just about a bar spoon of warm water,
which will help that sugar dissolve, as we muddle it with the Ango bitters.
Next, I'd like to add a big rock of ice to the glass.
Make sure it's going clear, like a good Scientologist. Some people add the spirit before the ice,
I prefer to pour it over the rock of ice. And here you have the option of using rye or bourbon,
I prefer rye 'cause it's a little bit spicier, but it's really your choice. Two ounces or 60 mils into the glass.
Next, we're gonna stir that with a bar spoon for about 30 seconds to both mix,
chill, and add a little dilution to the cocktail.
So how did this get the name, Old Fashioned, anyway?
Well, in the 1870s, bartenders began making the 'improved' whiskey cocktail,
by adding other ingredients, such as Absinthe, Curaçao,
Maraschino, or all three. Yet, in the late 1870s and early 1880s,
principle drinkers decided that these 'improved' cocktails were in fact
desecrations of the originals, calling for a return to the old fashioned recipes.
Hence, the old fashioned, as we know it today, was given its new name.
Now, the final step is to express some citrus oils over the top. Now, the original recipe called for a lemon twist,
I prefer lemon when pairing with rye, and orange with bourbon.
All right. Let's give it a taste. Cheers to the Original!
Yep, that is perfect. Simple, delicious, clean, classic.
And like any classic cocktail, there are variations, and this Oaxaca Old Fashioned
shows that whiskey is not the only spirit that works with this template.
We're gonna start with an old-fashioned glass with ice, and add in one and a half ounces or 45 mils of a high-quality aged Tequila.
Next, we're gonna add half an ounce or 15 mils of a smoky Mezcal. Two dashes of Ango bitters,
and then for the sugar, we're going to use a bar spoon of agave nectar.
Stir that until chilled.
Now, this drink was actually invented in 2007
by Phil Ward when he was working at 'Death and Co.'
And as with the original, we need to finish with a twist, here, we're using an orange twist.
But instead of simply expressing the oils over the top,
We're going to flame the citrus peel. Hold the match just above the drink, and quickly squeeze the orange peel to express the flammable Limonene oils.
Make sure your hairy knuckles are still intact, and let's give us a taste.
I like this drink a lot. You really get to appreciate the subtle flavors of the Tequila and Mezcal. It's delightful.
Pyromaniacs will be happy to learn that we're still playing with fire, for this next 'Smoked' Old Fashioned.
Now, some people toast a wooden plank to smoke their glass. What we're gonna do here instead is use a couple apple wood chips I have around,
but any way that works for you,
go for it. Fire up your torch or lighter,
match, or you could MacGyver that with a magnifying glass, whatever you need to get this stuff smoking.
Then you're gonna invert the rocks glass over the flame, and that delicious applewood smoke is gonna fill up the glass.
If you don't have applewood, hickory also works pretty well for this.
Okay, put that aside, and let's build a cocktail in a mixing glass. Two ounces or 60 mils of bourbon, then two dashes of aromatic bitters.
For the sugar, I'm gonna use a rich brown sugar syrup,
so two parts brown sugar to one part water, one bar spoon in the mixing glass.
Stir that with ice for about 45 seconds to chill and dilute it.
Now that you've hotboxed that glass with applewood smoke for a bit, tur n it over and pour the cocktail right in.
Drop in a beautiful clear rock of ice, and because we use bourbon,
I'm gonna do an orange twist here, express the oils on top, rub it around the rim, and drop it in the glass.
And now for the obligatory taste test, that applewood aroma is what hits you first, and this is a damn tasty cocktail.
That rich molasses from the brown sugar, the Bourbon, the smokiness, it's awesome.
Now you saw me coming up on that five minute mark, and thought I wasn't gonna give you a bacon cocktail,
You think this is a motherf*bleep*ing game player?
Sorry, that got away from me there. But yeah, we're gonna make the Benton's old fashioned by bacon fat, infusing some bourbon.
Dump the entire contents of a bottle of bourbon into a nonreactive container, the official recipe calls for Four Roses Bourbon.
Then you're gonna fry up some Benton's bacon, or any other hickory smoked bacon, and make sure you do a quality-control taste test,
better do another just to be sure... O kay, check's up.
Then we're gonna pour an ounce and a half, or 45 mils of the bacon fat right into the Bourbon.
This technique is called fat washing, and it works on the principle of polarity. Fat won't dissolve in water,
but it will dissolve in ethanol. Cover that and leave it at room temperature for four hours,
then you're gonna put it in the freezer for two hours.
The leftover oils from the fat will freeze, leaving behind alcohol, infus ed with the bacon's flavor.
Then you just have to strain out those fat solids, and you're left with your bacon-infused Bourbon.
All right. To make the cocktail, take a rocks glass with an ice cube, and pour in two ounces or 60 mils of your bacon booze,
then a quarter ounce of Grade B maple syrup,
as usual, we're gonna hit that with two dashes of Ango, and then stir it to chill and dilute it.
This Benton's Old Fashioned is actually the most popular drink at the Neo Speakeasy, PDT, in Manhattan.
Orange twist. Peel it, squeeze it, rub it, drop it. All right, let's see what happens when flesh meets firewater. Cheers!
Okay, this drink is just fantastic. That smoky bacon flavor really hits you on the nose,
but it's not overpowering. And it pairs so well with that maple syrup.
Just think how cool you look drinking this with a matching hat or shirt?
Thanks for watching guys. I've only got a limited number of these hats available for my patreon patrons,
But anyone can pick up one of these shirts right now over on my merch page.
They come in a variety of colors, men's and women's fits, and it ships globally.
This also means we now have global shipping for my first shirt, 'the Old Smashioned'. go check it out. Cheers!