Four Twists on the Old Fashioned

Riffs on the classic that are every bit as delicious as the original

Four Old Fashioned Variants

Well, its been a while since I wrote on here. Over a year ago at this point — Got caught up in a mild-to-severe case of procrastination — But, now I am ready to really get this thing going! And where better to start than some riffs on the only cocktail I have published: The Old Fashioned.

If you haven’t read the other article — and I don’t blame you, it is a little long — you’ll know the Old Fashioned is basically just a spirit, sugar, and bitters. This leaves a lot of room for experimentation and play, especially in the advent of the bitters craze sweeping the world.

Below are four alternative Old Fashioneds to get your creative juices flowing! Take these as mere guidance, and toy with them as much as you want. Got a bunch of cool local bitters? Try a few of em in a riff and see how you like it. Choose a syrup/sugar that can accentuate the flavours of the spirit or bitters or both!

My favourite thing about cocktails is there really is no right or wrong. If you enjoy it, who cares what anyone else thinks? Drink what you like, how you like it — It’s your booze!

So, these are just the way I like playing with the Old Fashioned template. I personally like syrups that echo the spirit I am using, you’ll see what I mean. But do what you want, make them your own!

Recipes

A quick note: all these drinks are made the same way. They can all be built in the glass or mixed in a mixing tin. If you want to know the difference between the methods go here! They are very similar, but I’ve typed em out for ease.

Built in the Glass

1. If using a large cube, place that in the glass first. If you drop the cube in when your precious liquor is in there, it can splash out and that isn’t good for anybody.
2. Add your Spirit, Sweetener, and bitters to the glass. Stir for about 10 seconds.
3. Add your garnish and enjoy!

Mixing Tin

1. Add Spirit, Sweetener, and bitters to a mixing tin. Add ice and stir for 15 seconds.
2. Place a large cube or a couple of small cubes in a glass, and strain tin into the glass.
3. Add garnish and enjoy!

Mezcal Old Fashioned

This one is pretty popular these days. Mezcal is a fantastic spirit and provides a wonderful base, full of complexity, for an Old Fashioned. Mezcal has a distinct smoky character, with herbaceous and earthy notes jumping in as well. Often there can be grass of some sort detectable. But for me, the predominant flavour is a balanced, smooth smokiness. I am not terribly experienced with mezcal, so my palate doesn’t pick up all the nuanced flavours yet. We’ll get there! As for this drink, the agave syrup adds a perfect sweetness that gives an almost candy-like quality. In a nice way! The xocoatl bitters tie the smokiness and sweetness together in perfect harmony.

— Recipe —

• 2oz of Mezcal
• 1tsp of Agave Syrup
• 2 dashes of Xocoatl Mole Bitters
• Lime Peel for garnish

Genever Old Fashioned

Gin’s ancestor, Genever is also making a bit of a comeback. It’s similar to gin in the floral, herbal, and citrus notes. But, where it differs is this almost malty sweetness, like unaged whiskey. This makes it a lovely component of an Old Fashioned. I went with a honey syrup for this drink, which plays with the floral components well and echoes the slight sweetness from the genever. I like to switch bitters around here quite a bit. Sometimes absinthe, sometimes grapefruit bitters, sometimes angostura. Go with whatever you feel would go best!

— Recipe —

• 2oz Genever
• 1tsp Honey Syrup
• 2 dashes of Citrus or another type of bitter
• Honeycomb for garnish

Rum Old Fashioned

Ahh, rum. There are SO many types of rum and so little time. It is a well-known ingredient in cocktails — hello, tiki — But it is also a beautiful sipper. Rum can be sipped like a nice scotch. Grab a decent bottle, and try it in this cocktail to see what I mean. My rum was demerara, so I used a demerara syrup as my sweetener! Rum and orange just seem like such a perfect pair to me, so orange bitters it is!

— Recipe —

• 2oz Rum
• 1tsp of demerara syrup
• 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
• Orange peel for garnish

Amaro Old Fashioned

So, this isn’t really an old fashioned, but it is something I really enjoy! And I use the Old Fashioned template to train my palate in other flavours, and Amaro is a liquor that is so complex and interesting. I chose Amaros that fell into different categories. Campari, your classic bitter. Averna is a great entry level amaro, sweet but still complex enough to be intriguing. And then Fernet Branca, which is a flavour that I hated, but I am learning to love! Maple syrup was just a fun add-in — I am Canadian, after all. And then Peychaud’s really brings it all home.

— Recipe —

• 1oz Averna Amaro
• 1oz Campari
• 1/2oz Fernet Branca
• 1tsp Maple Syrup
• 2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters
• A spice of some kind! I had cloves on hand when I made this one

I hope you get a chance to try one of these. They are delicious cocktails, and very easy to make! Is there an Old Fashioned riff you particularly like? Let me know!