Three Variations on the 2nd Best Old Fashioned

Few cocktails have have captured the minds of the thirsty public or generated as much interest in the past two centuries as that old Bourbon standby, the Old Fashioned.

 

The History of the Old Fashioned: Sazeracs to Martinis

Sure, the Martini had its heyday in those dark days when whiskey was merely an afterthought of the spirits-sipping population. Then there’s the Manhattan -- one of our unanimous favorite cocktails here at ASW Distillery -- named after perhaps the most famous city on earth.

And, of course, the alleged fountainhead of all cocktails, the Sazerac, hails from mid-1800s New Orleans, when a certain Sewell Taylor sold his bar to become an importer of the Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils brand of cognac that entrepreneur Aaron Bird (who bought Taylor’s bar) mixed into his “Sazerac Cocktail”. The cocktail just happened to include local bitters from Antoine Amedie Peychaud, the inventor of Peychaud’s. After an epidemic devastated French vineyards and drove up cognac prices, the Sazerac began to dress up the corn-and-rye-based swill floating down the Mississippi River instead. Like the Manhattan, the Sazerac is a favorite of ours at the distillery. In fact, we make a mean one as part of our cocktail program, which you can enjoy any Thursday, Friday, or Saturday during our tasting hours.

But since the Bourbon Old Fashioned’s formalization in Louisville, Kentucky, and subsequent popularization at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, the Old Fashioned has been a go-to staple of everyone from creator of fictional lands, George Lucas, to fictional creator of ads, Don Draper in Mad Men, who consumed enough of them to send chills down Winston Churchill’s spine.

The word “cocktail” arose in the early 1800s, when an editor of New York’s The Balance and Columbian Repository defined the drink as a mixture of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar. But as the 1800s progressed from gas lamps to electric street lights, barkeeps had begun concocting cocktails with a wider array of modifiers -- everything from orange curaçao to absinthe (as in the case of the Sazerac). In the 1860s, tipplers began to long for the “good old days” of the cocktail, perhaps as a response to the psychological impact of the Civil War.

 

I'll Have It the 'Old Fashioned' Way

Soon, the “old fashioned” way of making cocktails came back into fashion, featuring just spirits, bitters, water, and sugar. A barkeep from Chicago mentioned that the most popular base spirit in the Old Fashioned of the 1870s was whiskey (albeit rye at the time, rather than bourbon). But the name “Old Fashioned” as a proper noun hadn’t yet entered the common vernacular. For that, we can credit Louisville, Kentucky’s gentleman’s club, the Pendennis Club, founded in 1881. A bartender in the city devised the delicious concoction to consist of lots of bourbon, a little water and sugar, and a hint of bitters and orange. James E. Pepper, a well-known whiskey distiller of the day, transported this newly named “Old Fashioned” cocktail to New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and the rest is history.

In 2015, Louisville even named the Old Fashioned as its City Cocktail, creating a two-week celebration of the drink in its annual “Old Fashioned Fortnight”. How many other boozy drinks can claim to be the cocktail representing an entire city?

But an Old Fashioned is more than just the spirited sum of sugar, water, bourbon, bitters, and a stale bar garnish like a desiccated orange peel or canned cherry. There is an art to the Old Fashioned that requires balance and imagination. To that end, we here at ASW Distillery have experimented with numerous variations on the Old Fashioned theme over the years, three of which we finally got to unveil to guests in 2017.

New GA Laws: Vetting Our Old Fashioned Recipes

How’s that? Well, when Georgia updated its distillery laws that took effect on September 1, 2017, the law finally permitted us as a distiller of spirits to serve cocktails directly to the public. We were suddenly transformed from distillery with a nice tasting room into a sort of cocktail bar (albeit with tighter hours) serving up delicious & inexpensive cocktails right across the street from SweetWater Brewery.

For our first cocktail menu, we included classics like a Southern Mule (made with bourbon and local bitters heroes, 1821 Bitters Ginger Beer), a Sazerac, and, of course, one of our Old Fashioned recipes.

The night of Sept. 1, when we unveiled the new cocktails, one patron paid us the weighty compliment: “That’s the 2nd best Old Fashioned I’ve ever had.” Thing was, he couldn't remember the first. So we assumed either it was a fine specimen of boozy goodness, or the patron was concerned with grade inflation.

In either event, the compliment tickled us better than Elmo, and ever since that fateful, ego-stroking evening, we’ve come to calling our Old Fashioneds the “2nd Best Old Fashioneds”.

So without further ado, we present to you, the Three 2nd Best Old Fashioned Recipes we’ve concocted over the years of making & savoring whiskey.

The Three 2nd Best Old Fashioned Recipes

The 2nd Best Old Fashioned Recipe No. 1

For this one, the splash of fresh orange juice is key, brightening up the cocktail for a perfect spring, summer, and (in the hot South) fall sipper. It pairs well with your lips, when you’re looking for something delicious.

• 2 oz Fiddler Unison Bourbon
• ⅓ oz Simple syrup
• 5 drops 1821 Prohibition Aromatic Bitters
• 5 drops 1821 Tart Cherry Saffron Bitters
• Splash Fresh orange juice
• Orange peel (for garnish)

Combine ingredients over ice, stir & strain into rocks/lowball glass over 2-3 ice cubes. Express* orange peel, rub around the rim, and drop into the glass.

*To “express” just means to squeeze it above the cocktail with the peel facing down, towards the cocktail.
 

The 2nd Best Old Fashioned Recipe No. 2

As pioneers in Southern pot-still spirits, this is the most traditional of the recipes we’ll put our stamp of approval on. It pairs well with cigars & fond memories of yesteryear.

• 2 oz Fiddler Unison Bourbon
• 2 tsp warm water
• 1 tsp raw sugar
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange wedge (for garnish)

Stir sugar, bitters & water in a glass until the sugar is dissolved. Add 5-7 ice cubes and pour Fiddler over. Stir 20-30 seconds to chill cocktail & dilute whiskey, then strain into rocks/lowball glass. Garnish with orange wedge.
 

The 2nd Best Old Fashioned Recipe No. 3

This is the funkiest of the bunch, the proverbial wild child that pays homage to Georgia’s excellent, but often underappreciated, climate for some varieties of figs (specifically, “Brown Turkey” figs). It comes from our friends in Decatur, Georgia’s No. 246, just a hop, skip & a jump from our distillery.

• 2 oz Fiddler Unison Bourbon
• 2 tsp Fig cordial*
• 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• Regan’s Orange Bitters
• Lemon peel (for garnish)

So there you have it. Three variations of the 2nd Best Old Fashioned cocktail, as told by our distillery, which now just so happens to be a lively cocktail outpost as well. We hope you find these enjoyable, and likewise hope you'll join us for one at our tasting room some time in the not-too-distant future.

Cheers,

-Chad & The ASW team

The 5 best Manhattan recipes, as told by our distillery

At times, like the humid days of August when Atlanta becomes one large greenhouse, a bracingly cold cocktail is the only remedy that will do, even for us whiskey purists here at ASW Distillery. As scientists have long known, going for any length of time without a dram of whiskey may have significant ramifications for one's health (link to health article). So what better way to imbibe your daily recommended value of whiskey in the summer months than in the cocktail originally developed at Manhattan's non-ironically named Manhattan Hotel: The Manhattan. 

Note, this is not the Manhattan Hotel. It's the Manhattan Bridge. The dictates of open source.

The story goes that Dr. Iain Marshall created the cocktail for a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden, who months later lost the 1876 presidential election in what is known by historians as "The Corrupt Bargain".

Over the years building our whiskey company from the ground up, we've had an opportunity to explore nearly all facets of the Manhattan - cocktails ranging from floral and bright to robust and downright pungent. To assist you like Sancho Panza in your own quest for the perfect Manhattan, we've compiled each of our team members' favorite recipes.

The Jim Manhattan (the original rye Manhattan, with a twist)

As the fearless leader of our small but growing craft distillery, Jim has discovered a hankering for rye whiskey rivaled only by his thirst for a good story where the truth doesn't interfere. As such, his ideal Manhattan takes its cue from the traditional recipe, yet with a few embellishments.

Flavor profile:

Well-balanced, dry, and somewhat herbal with citrus notes.

Ingredients:

• 1.5oz rye whiskey
• 0.5oz Dolin Rouge vermouth
• 2 dashes orange Angostura bitters.
• Orange peel

Instructions:

Chill a coupe glass while you make the cocktail by putting it in the freezer or filling it with ice and placing it on the counter beside you.

Combine rye, vermouth, and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass over ice. Stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into champagne coupe and garnish with orange twist.

The Charlie Manhattan (the traditional bourbon Manhattan)

Years hence, Charlie made a pact with bourbon never to let it collect dust on a shelf when it could be better put to use adorning the bottom of a glass - ideally momentarily. His Manhattan of choice registers towards the sweeter end of the spectrum.

Flavor profile:

Caramel, fruit, and tobacco and spice, offset by the world's most popular bitters, regular Angostura.

Ingredients:

• 2.5oz bourbon whiskey
• 1oz Carpano Antica red vermouth
• 3 dashes original Angostura bitters
• Orange peel 

Instructions:

Chill a martini glass while you make the cocktail by putting it in the freezer or filling it with ice and placing it on the counter beside you. It's rumored that the glass will cast welcome spirits as you prepare the drink.

Combine bourbon, vermouth, and bitters over ice in a mixing glass. Stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Empty the ice from the martini glass and strain into the glass. Garnish with the cherry and the orange peel.

The Kelly Manhattan (the "Perfect" Manhattan)

As the leader of Atlanta's Bourbon Women chapter, you might expect Kelly's favorite Manhattan to be Charlie's. Yet her enthusiasm for a good, dry Speyside Scotch leads her into the exclusive, gated community of the Perfect Manhattan, which substitutes half of the sweet red vermouth with dry white, to luxurious effect.

Flavor profile:

Like a hybrid between the best Manhattan and the best Martini, with the spicy rye and rich, cocoa notes of the Cocchi di Torino balanced by the crispness of the Dolin dry and zesty lemon.

Ingredients:

• 2oz rye whiskey
• 0.5oz Cocchi di Torino red vermouth
• 0.5oz Dolin Dry vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Lemon peel

Instructions:

No secret in how you start preparing this one: chill a coupe glass while you make the cocktail by placing it in the freezer or filling it with ice and placing it on the counter beside you to scrutinize your bar spoon rotation technique.

Combine rye, all vermouth, and bitters over ice in a mixing glass. Stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Empty the ice from the coupe glass and strain into the glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

The Chad Manhattan (the health food Manhattan)

It's well-known around the distillery that Chad's diet consists entirely of lettuce and grass, so he leans towards a healthier alternative to the original Manhattan that adds a splash of orange liqueur. (Orange liqueur totally packs 100% of a body's recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C, right?) 

Flavor profile:

Sweet and spicy, very orange-forward, zesty

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Cointreau
• 2oz rye whiskey
• 1oz Dolin Rouge vermouth
• 1 dash 18.21 Prohibition-style aromatic bitters
• Orange twist

Instructions:

Fill a coupe glass with the Cointreau and place in the freezer to chill while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Combine rye, vermouth, and bitters over ice in a mixing glass. Stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Swirl the orange liqueur around the coupe glass, then pour any excess out. Strain the ingredients into the Cointreau-expressed coupe. Garnish with the orange twist.

The Josh Manhattan (the uptown Manhattan)

After setting out for the fertile valleys of craft whiskey from the friendly cliffs of craft beer nigh a year ago, Josh gravitates towards a light, floral Manhattan reminiscent of the best IPAs, albeit a bit sweeter and with more vanilla.

Photo courtesy of our friends at Lobby Bar at Atlanta Airport Marriott

Flavor profile: Sweet yet herbal, with vanilla, citrus, and maybe even a hint of mint.

Ingredients:

• 2oz American Spirit Whiskey (bias alert: this is our first whiskey)
• 1oz Dolin Blanc vermouth (note, this is the bottle with blue lettering, not the one with green lettering, which is Dolin Dry)
• 2 dashes orange Angostura bitters
• Orange peel

Instructions:

As with all the others, chill a martini glass while you make the cocktail by putting it in the freezer or filling it with ice and placing it on the counter. 

Combine ASW, vermouth, and bitters over ice. Stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with orange peel.

The Justin Manhattan (The spartan manhattan)

Flavor profile: Pure deliciousness, like liquid sunshine

Ingredients:

• 2.5oz American single malt whiskey (preferably the one we have in the works)

Instructions:

Pour whiskey into drinking vessel. Sip slowly for 15 seconds. Peer out at the fine gold rim of the world in the waning daylight. Repeat sipping steps. (Justin doesn't like cocktails.)

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