Proper drinks for decent whiskey
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:24 pm
One of great tragedies of our age is the seeming demise of the cocktail. This once venerated tradition has fallen to the wayside of girly drinks and the odious trend of trendy high-end liquors that haven't been in production longer than the last time a Democrat was in the White House.
Yet there are proper drinks to be made with proper alcohol. Good whiskey is a pleasure in and of itself but it can be made sublime with the right ingredients allied with careful and judicious mixing of other ingredients. Finding a bartender with the knowledge of these concoctions and a deft skill at making them is a true revelation and a boon to be treasured.
To begin our discussion of this proud and wonderful tradition I will espouse upon one of my favorites - the Old Fashioned. (Much of this is culled from my cooking website, kleph's kitchen .)
The Old Fashioned is most venerable and stately of the pre-dinner drinks. It is a slightly sweet but smooth repast which warms the soul, cheers the demeanor and starts a refined evening off in the proper manner befitting civilized folk.
There are two keys to making a proper Old Fashioned. The first is to use rye whiskey and not bourbon. The sweetness of Bourbon - which is its strength in a drink like a Mint Juliep - can overpower the Old Fashioned. Using Rye creates a smoother more stately drink that prepares the palette for a good meal.
The second is to muddle. Don't just toss the fruit in and add the rest of the ingredients on top - muddle them, preferably with a proper muddler (the end of a wooden spatula will do in a pinch). This means mash the sugar and fruit until they are almost a paste. If you can recognize the fruit when you serve the drink - you have failed.
Although it is not traditional, I like to put a twist of lemon peel in the drink at the very end as well. It creates a nice citrus punch as you first taste the drink that is carried through when you finish it.
Ingredients
Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in rye, fill with ice cubes, and stir.
Yet there are proper drinks to be made with proper alcohol. Good whiskey is a pleasure in and of itself but it can be made sublime with the right ingredients allied with careful and judicious mixing of other ingredients. Finding a bartender with the knowledge of these concoctions and a deft skill at making them is a true revelation and a boon to be treasured.
To begin our discussion of this proud and wonderful tradition I will espouse upon one of my favorites - the Old Fashioned. (Much of this is culled from my cooking website, kleph's kitchen .)
The Old Fashioned is most venerable and stately of the pre-dinner drinks. It is a slightly sweet but smooth repast which warms the soul, cheers the demeanor and starts a refined evening off in the proper manner befitting civilized folk.
There are two keys to making a proper Old Fashioned. The first is to use rye whiskey and not bourbon. The sweetness of Bourbon - which is its strength in a drink like a Mint Juliep - can overpower the Old Fashioned. Using Rye creates a smoother more stately drink that prepares the palette for a good meal.
The second is to muddle. Don't just toss the fruit in and add the rest of the ingredients on top - muddle them, preferably with a proper muddler (the end of a wooden spatula will do in a pinch). This means mash the sugar and fruit until they are almost a paste. If you can recognize the fruit when you serve the drink - you have failed.
Although it is not traditional, I like to put a twist of lemon peel in the drink at the very end as well. It creates a nice citrus punch as you first taste the drink that is carried through when you finish it.
Ingredients
- 2 oz rye whiskey
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 splash water
1 tsp sugar
1 maraschino cherry
1 orange wedge
Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in rye, fill with ice cubes, and stir.