Old Fashioned Cocktails are my favourite these days. I am told it's an old man cocktail, so if it is, I guess call me an old man because I just love them. You have to love bourbon to love this cocktail, because it's basically bourbon with a small touch of va-va-voom.
I started my love for bourbon when I lived in Los Angeles. My roommate Ashley and I would celebrate with bourbon and ginger ale. By celebrate, I mean be two very respectable university students of course. Fast forward, I moved to Toronto and hadn't seen Ashley for over four years, when I had the pleasure of attending her gorgeous wedding and meeting her handsome groom. And what was on the menu, but the bride's favourite cocktail, an old fashioned. My favourite as well. It was like we grew up together, even though we were apart. Aww I miss you Ashley.
Cheers to everlasting friendships no matter how far away you are!
How about you, what's your favourite cocktail?
Old Fashioned Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz bourbon
- 2 to 3 dashes angostura bitters
- ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons superfine sugar or simple syrup
- Handful of ice
- 2 maraschino cherries
- 1 orange (to make an orange twist from)
Instructions
- Measure the bourbon and bitters into a cocktail glass of choice. Traditionally old fashioned are made with one sugar cube, but I find them difficult to dissolve in the bourbon, so instead I opt for superfine sugar or simple syrup. I tend to like my old fashioned on the less sweet side of things so I add ½ a teaspoon of the sugar, but if you like a sweeter more traditional old fashion add up to 1 ½ teaspoons of the sugar.
- Stir until sugar is dissolved. Fill glass with a big handful of ice. Top with two maraschino cherries. Use a pairing knife to carefully cut a long thin strip of zest from the orange, twist it by wrapping it around your finger, then pop into the drink. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam
Carrie says
Are there vegan maraschino cherries? I wasn't aware. I thought the red dye was from the beetles.
Sam Turnbull says
It would just depend on the brand you buy, you can check the ingredients to be sure. Here is a list of the names to watch out for, but not all red dyes are made from carmine (beetles). Alternatively, you could sub fresh cherries. Enjoy!
Sophie says
The hubby asked me to make this for him again tonight (and he is a picky eater)! We enjoy this dish all the time as it is one of our favorites. I choose to follow the original recipe to the T and it always comes out great. Some times I need the cornstarch for the sauce, other times I don't.2 people found this helpful. Was it helpful to you?
Sam says
You put cornstarch in an old fashioned cocktail? I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe either way!
Willow Moon says
I usually drink wine, but I have been enjoying making Mojitos recently. My favorite combo so far is a Tangerine Mojito, but I have also made a Lemon Ginger, a Grapefruit Basil, a Cucumber Mojito, and a couple of Mocktail Mojitos.
Sam says
Ohmygoodness! It isn't even 10:30am here yet, and now I am already thinking about Grapefruit Basil Mojitos! They sound totally delicious! Thanks for sharing Willow.
Carolyn Newman says
I love a good cocktail! Yum!
Sam says
Me too. The perfect way to take a night off and relax a little.
Shana says
I was curious because I've never had an Old Fashioned, so I went out yesterday and picked up some bourbon and.... wow! I'm in love. This is my new favorite drink. Thank you so much for this, your second life-changing recipe! (The first was your vegan Mozarella, that's a staple now around here.)
Sam says
Hahaha! You're welcome Shana! Classic cocktails are changing lives, I love it!
Kathy Sturr says
Uh no bourbon, my go to is a very dry gin martini which I like to indulge in every day around 5 or 6 or so - happy hour! It's a ritual. I think happy hour gets a bad rap - it sure makes my day and keeps life in check.
Sam says
Oh I do love a good gin martini too! I totally agree with you Kathy, happy hour is where it's at! I love indulging in a lovely cocktail every now and then. Such a nice way to relax in the evening. 😀
Linda @ Veganosity says
This reminds me of my dad, it was his favorite cocktail. 🙂 Mine is wine, anything else knocks me on my arse-haha! Great picture!
Sam says
Aww that's nice. I love wine too, but this is for when I seriously need a night cap. Haha. Thank you Linda! So lovely to always see you in the comments 😀
Anonymous says
Different topic but do you have suggestions for replacing olive oil in dressings/marinades. Salads are my go to in the summer heat... Thanks.
Sam says
Hello!
I haven't tried this myself but the Fat Free Vegan has a recipe for "Thick Water" that is intended for this purpose. The recipe is here: http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/05/06/thick-water/
Enjoy!
Johanna says
We have a great local, Maple Bourbon here in Southern Vermont. I wonder how that would taste in the drink.
Sam says
Oh wow, that sound's divine! I bet it would be great. If it is sweet, I would say maybe skip the sugar. Mmmm maple...
Maggy says
You can do it! Three days are a lot of time, so don't give up! 🙂 those pictures are amazing by the way
Sam says
Haha, thanks Maggy!! I know I can do it too! 😀
Thank you! I had to take them quick before the ice melted!