Latest Drink Recipe
In my opinion, one of the greatest triumphs of the cocktail renaissance is the rediscovery of the classic Old Fashioned. I’ve often spoken of how at some point after the repeal of Prohibition, the Old Fashioned became lost and possibly confused with a long-forgotten drink called a Smash (basically a tarted-up Mint Julep covered in fruit), a mere husk of its former, glorious self.
For decades, bartenders just like me served a limp, weak concoction consisting of a half-muddled sugar cube, a mashed-up neon red cherry and orange, a splash of whiskey, and some soda water drowning the results.
With a little luck, and a lot of hard work, that’s all changed with the renewed interest in classic cocktails. Now at any given night at my bar you can find literally a dozen people sipping on two ounces bourbon touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters, garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes.
But don’t try to pull that bullshit with the good people of the Great State of Wisconsin, where the Brandy Old Fashioned rules supreme. It’s not the same drink as above, it just shares a name. And if you make it right, really right, it’s a damn delicious cocktail and worthy of examination.
Being located in a hotel, we’re used to serving folks from all over the world. And the first time I witnessed a guest from Wisconsin stare blankly as one of my bartenders handed over two ounces of Cognac touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters and garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes, I knew some further training was in order.
So in the name of making cocktails – all cocktails – with as much of our hearts as we can offer, I present to you what I believe to be the perfect Brandy Old Fashioned… Wisconsin-style.
I start with an old fashioned glass I’ve chilled in the freezer. Call it a tumbler, call it a double rocks glass, or call it a bucket, it’s a glass you’re familiar with. To that I add two dashes of Angostura bitters and a teaspoon of sugar. If I’m in a hurry I use a 2:1 simple syrup, but if I’m going to spend some time, I use a sugar cube. The sugar cube is preferable here because it’s going to add some friction to the muddling we’re about to do. Brace yourselves, cocktail “nerds”.
Next I’ll take a thick-cut orange wedge, and a cherry. The usual suspect here is a grocery store maraschino cherry, but I always choose a brandied Amarena cherry. Remember, you’re going to get out what you put in, so a quality cherry is going to make the drink that much better.
I muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to touch the orange peel too much as it’ll bring unwanted bitterness to the party – just work around the peel and pulverize that orange meat.
Your standard Brandy Old Fashioned brandy of choice is Korbel: cheap California brandy. Considering the hundreds of thousands of cases they ship to Wisconsin every year, it might be considered sacrosanct to use anything else. But if you want to do this right, really right, then do yourself a favor and use some good Cognac. I have my preferred brandy, you have yours.
At this point your typical Wisconsinite barkeep is going to add ice and finish the drink in one of two main ways: sweet or sour. Those who take it sweet will ask for a splash of Sprite or 7-Up, those who take it sour get a dose of Collins Mix or Squirt. To me, it’s just a way of watering down the drink, so I leave out the soda and take a more… cocktail-y method.
Crushed ice is a must for me whenever I whip up a Brandy Old Fashioned. I always skip the soda and let the tiny shards of ice do the work, taming those strong, sweet flavors and turning this into a drink you can sip slowly.
As for a garnish, most will throw a “flag” of an orange wedge and a cherry spiked through with a wooden toothpick, but my take here is that those things are already in the drink, so I skip ‘em. Besides, how pretty does that look without the goofy fruit salad perched over the top?
You know, it’s something to enjoy sipping on while you cook up some bratwurst and onions in a boiling kettle of beer before everyone comes over to watch the Packers game. Drink accordingly.
Brandy Old Fashioned
1 sugar cube or 1 tsp 2:1 simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 orange wedge
1 cherry, preferably Amarena or Maraska
2 oz brandy or Cognac
In a chilled old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to work the orange peel. Add brandy or Cognac, stir, and fill glass with crushed ice and serve.
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About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the bar manager at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. I started tending bar while getting my degree in Interior Architecture, and slowly I came to the conclusion that bartending was what I really loved, and that I might as well drop everything and focus on being a professional bartender. Over the years I have strived, both behind the bar and with this website, to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
27 Jun 2007 at 2:16 PM 1. Jeffrey Morgenthaler » My Top Ten Favorite Drinks
[...] The Richmond Gimlet » [...]
04 Jul 2007 at 10:44 PM 2. The Cocktail Chronicles » Blog Archive » MxMo XVII: Bring on the Blog Love
[...] So, if you’ve been thrilling to Richmond Gimlets or knocking back Bourbon Lancers or Green Ghosts ever since you read about them online, let’s hear about it. Just get your post up by the close of Monday, July 16, toss a note in the comment section of this post, and tune in to see the roundup. [...]
15 Jul 2007 at 4:53 PM 3. MxMo XVII: Richmond Gimlet » Lamb Martini
[...] I’d seen Jeffery Morgenthaler’s Richmond Gimlet when first getting into cocktails so-many-months ago, but I was a bit skeptical of combining gin and mint. It seemed to me that the juniper and minty flavors were too strong to play well together. I’ve since gotten over my connection of gin to bug repellent, so it’s a bit easier to enjoy now. [...]
17 Jul 2007 at 3:06 PM 4. The Cocktail Chronicles » Blog Archive » The Mushiest MxMo Ever
[...] Phil at Lamb Martini arrived and realized he was wearing the same Richmond Gimlet that I’d mentioned in the MxMo announcement. Undeterred, he mixed up the drink using different gins, and wound up the life of the party. [...]
19 Jul 2007 at 8:12 PM 5. BLT + Cukes + Richmond Gimlet = Summer » Lamb Martini
[...] My farmers market had non-early tomatoes for the first time this week, so it’s BLT time. Along with some Asian cukes in yuzu vinegar and a Richmond Gimlet, this has to be the perfect summer meal. « MxMo XVII: Richmond Gimlet | [...]
24 Jul 2007 at 9:52 PM 6. SLOSHED! » Blog Archive » Tropical Fix
[...] All right, now that the introspective portion of our program has concluded, let’s get on to the real reason you’re here. For this challenge, we’ve been asked to pick a drink that was posted or created by a fellow blogger and spread the love around a little. My first inclination was to make the Richmond Gimlet, something that I’ve been meaning to do ever since I laid eyes on Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s recipe æons ago. Doubts overcame me though, and I stopped myself. While everything about that drink screams “delightful!” to me, it seemed like a cop-out to pick the drink from Jeffrey’s blog for this challenge. I wanted to dig a little deeper. Use a liquor that I don’t feature very often. Grab a recipe from another blog that I admire, since I’ve already heaped lavish praise on the Nacional and adding more praise for the Richmond Gimlet would be pretty biased. [...]
26 Feb 2008 at 6:48 PM 7. Michaelg
I don’t mean to sound like a broken record (I’ve said this before in this site), but substituting a shot of limeade for the simple syrup is easier, and dare I say it…better?
15 Jun 2008 at 9:00 PM 8. Mike S.
I’ve been reading here on this site for a while now, and posting a comment here and there, but tonight I finally got around to making myself a Richmond Gimlet. It’s absolutely wonderful, and one that I’ll make again and again. Thanks much for posting the recipe.
Cheers!
Mike
17 Jun 2008 at 12:22 PM 9. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Mike S. – Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the drink.
07 Jul 2008 at 10:51 AM 10. Bill
Jeff,
I tried the Richmond Gimlet and really enjoyed it. Had some friends try –they too loved it.
A friend had me bartend a pool party specifically requesting the drink—- made about thirty in a 2 hour period. Ran out of gin. Big hit!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Bill G.
07 Jul 2008 at 10:58 AM 11. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Bill – So glad you and everyone at the party enjoyed it!
07 Aug 2008 at 3:05 PM 12. Evan M.
This is a great refreshing drink, although I just ran out of Tanq 10 So I used Hendricks which had good results but I could imagine Tanq 10 would work even nicer. I’ve made a drink similar to this but has a much different flavor, but still light and refreshing.
1 1/2 oz. vodka 1/2 oz. lime juice 1/2 oz. Ginger syrup and 1 mint sprig. For other mint/gin combinations everyone must try Audrey Saunder’s Gin Gin Mule or even better: a Ginger Rogers which I think is a better version of the Gin Gin Mule.
Make exactly like a mojito but use ginger syrup, gin, and ginger ale in place of simple syrup, rum, and soda. And then of course the Southside Cocktail.
27 Aug 2008 at 12:57 PM 13. p richmond
i just read the write up of the Richmond Gimlet in Oklahoma Magazine. i have worked several spinoffs from the mojito myself and was quite intrigued. but how can you dare call it a Gimlet without Rose’s Sweetened Lime???
27 Aug 2008 at 1:41 PM 14. Garretto
Regarding the name, and inevitable mojito comparisons…
Last month I worked a weekend at the bar/restaurant my Bro-law owns.
I had the Richmond Gimlet as the “special” that weekend. It did real well (thanks again Jeffrey)and the Mojito kept coming up. “Oh it tastes like a mojito” and the other bartender even started to muddle the mint—NO NO NO! I put a stop to that quick.
As well as the flavor, the beauty of the drink is the ease of the recipe and preparation.I don’t view it as a version of a mojito just because it has mint in it. I’d compare it to a Gin-sour or (fresh juice) Gimlet, with mint. Just as it is named. I don’t see at as a Ginjito, or a Moginto.
28 Aug 2008 at 3:52 PM 15. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Garretto – Point taken, however I do believe that gimlets were (for a short time) made with fresh lime and sugar before Rose came along. My Journal of the American Cocktail books are both in temporary storage, but I’m fairly sure that’s what I read therein.
28 Aug 2008 at 4:01 PM 16. Garretto
Jeffrey — actually I was agreeing with you— it was P Richmond (above my response) who mentioned the Roses Lime “how can you dare call it a Gimlet” and then mentions the mojito. I think “Gimlet” is appropriate in the name, as it resembles it more than a mojito; both in taste and prep.
Not to change the subject, but your Bourbon Renewal is the best play on a whiskey sour I’ve ever tasted. It’s a “usual” around my house. Great drinks, JM!
28 Aug 2008 at 4:33 PM 17. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Garretto – Oops, I see that now, sorry. Thanks for the encouragement, I always appreciate it!
04 Dec 2008 at 1:09 AM 18. Charlie
Do you prefer to use a lime garnish or mint in this? Thanks.
10 Dec 2008 at 2:48 AM 19. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Charlie
I leave the garnish out of this one, actually, but you’re free to experiment as you wish!
Jeff
17 Mar 2009 at 6:38 PM 20. The Concierge
I have made a similar drink for a little more than a year now, which is essentially the same except I used St. germain and not simple syrup and a little less of it than 1 oz. However, sometimes muddle the lime with a mint a little before I shake it and I have only made it with Plymouth and 209 Gins. In any case, it is something that is worth trying by anyone who enjoys this drink. I have noticed Gin and mint drinks of similar character have been popping up all over nyc recently, each made slightly different though.
20 Mar 2009 at 4:40 PM 21. Ebbe H.
I am currently enjoying one of these. I have previously sinned against the gimlet by using Rose’s, and unsurprisngly this is much better. It even looks better with all the beat up mint from the shaking! Great drink, great blog, keep it coming.
02 Apr 2009 at 7:54 PM 22. Daniel RIchmond
Hey Jeff,
Love the site. You are truly the consummate bartender and bon vivant, and as always, your array of inebriant knowledge is beyond reproach.
01 May 2009 at 1:12 PM 23. Derek Borders
This is funny. The first drink I came up with that made it onto a real menu is this exact recipe except that the base spirit is Bacardi Limon. I was trying for a cross between a Daquiri and a Mojito. I named their mutant offspring the Mint Conditon. For the garnish I use a lime wheel with a sprig of mint stabbed through it. I am especially fond of the little mint flecks that float around when you shake it well.
Other flavored rums make for some tasty variations as well. e.g. Bacardi Grand Grand Melon and Peach Red.
On a more pertinent note I think that Hendrix Gin with it’s unique cucumber and rose flavors would work really well here. Plus the crispness of that particular gin won’t be lost on such a clean cocktail.
05 Jul 2009 at 11:48 AM 24. Andrew
Hey Jeff,
I tried your Richmond Gimlet for the first time this week. It was so good, I emailed the recipe far and wide and you’ll be pleased to know it slaked many thirsts over the last few days as the temperatures here (London, UK)unusually reached the mid 30s (centigrade).
I experimented and swapped the 1oz syrup for 1oz St Germain Liqueur. Worth a try if you get the chance – a delicious twist on your perfect original.
Thanks. Love the blog.
Andrew
07 Jul 2009 at 6:01 PM 25. Lisa
OMG, I want to cry. My local joint makes a drink that I could never quite replicate. It has a mixture of Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau and cucumber juice but your Gimlet mixture is so similar in style and tartness that I have the will to live again! Yummy yummy yummy!
25 Jul 2009 at 10:15 PM 26. James
I just tried one of these, and it was excellent. The only change is that instead of a mint leaf I used mint-infused simple syrup that was left over from a day of making mojitos. Definitely a keeper.
01 Aug 2009 at 12:56 AM 27. Tony
Tanqueray should be paying you. I normally hate gin, but this drink guarantees there will always be a bottle of No. 10 on my shelf.
18 Aug 2009 at 12:25 AM 28. lee
So if you put 4oz of alcohol why do you strain it into a 9oz glass?
I agree with you James, make a mint infused simple syrup. Then no worries about mint on your teeth! Also one other wonderful combination is sweet basil instead of mint, also infused in the syrup. Wonderful.
22 Aug 2009 at 10:56 AM 29. Bill
I just made this now and it is really good. It is now on the menu for my home bar. Thanks for the great drink. The base is so different to a Bramble.
30 Dec 2009 at 9:48 AM 30. Jason Littrell
It’s impossible to ignore the relationships between these drinks. There’s definitely a colloquial difference between these these cocktail (names), but they all have one thing in common…they taste good. Gimlet=sugar, lime, gin. Mint Gimlet= Richmond Gimlet, or “Southside” in New York. Let’s get crazy…add cucumber to the Richmond Gimlet and you have an Eastside.
As far as I’m concerned you can call them all Jeff, because that guy’s cool.
03 Apr 2010 at 10:38 PM 31. Jen
Seriously wow. I’m a total n00b, but just went out today and stocked up my home bar with some basics, and I think this is my new favourite drink. I didn’t have any mint, but threw in some cilantro instead and it’s totally delish! Thanks for sharing your all your knowledge with us plebs! :)
23 Jun 2010 at 11:54 AM 32. Piotr
Jeffrey,
Does it have to be Tanqueray No. 10 or Beefeater will do?
09 Sep 2010 at 6:45 AM 33. BaltoDent
Jeff,
This is a truly great drink. One problem I’ve had when making two or three at a time for a thirsty group is a lesser mint flavor extraction. I suppose this is from not enough head space in the shaker to get enough banging around of the mint and ice. I know a true bartender would make them one by one, so I guess I’m just an amateur. Anyway, I tried shaking the ice and mint alone first, then adding the rest until properly chilled. Success, and a time saver over making them one by one.
I’ve tried this drink with your homemade gin recipe…fabulous. Also with vodka & basil, and lemon verbena & gin. I find these to be very worthy alternates.
Cheers!
13 Dec 2010 at 8:07 PM 34. LeSuperbHag
Oh yeah, as cool and refreshing as Daniel S. himself! God how we miss his shining face in the Emerald City :)
04 Feb 2011 at 11:29 AM 35. Lea R.
Oh, that’s the best thing I’ve seen on this 39-degree and rainy February day!
Just realized we’ve run out of No. 10. Maybe I’ll run by the store and get one and try to bring a little hoping-for-springtime happiness to our Friday night.
Got here by way of 101 Cookbooks–will be back!
- Lea R.
28 May 2011 at 9:48 AM 36. Kabouter
Hi Jeff-
I am a huge fan of the R. Gimlet. I was also wondering about the 9oz. glass?
Also, when I strain into the glass, I do not have any mint pieces. Are those with mint in the drink straining (e.g., tea strainer)?
Thanks,
Boerderij Kabouter
02 Aug 2011 at 4:47 PM 37. jon
try this with an equal amount of basil.
28 Sep 2011 at 1:39 AM 38. Morgan flanagan
Very similar to a southside, though tasty nonetheless
28 Sep 2011 at 1:40 AM 39. Morgan flanagan
Just realized what I said has already been discussed. Apologies