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.
When I’m not treating myself to a cocktail, I’m drinking water. It is the single-most important ingredient in every single one of the following beverages, and its absence or misuse can make or break an otherwise fine cocktail.
I’ve had more than my share, and it’s damn-near impossible to get a good one unless you make it yourself, but the Martini will forever remain close to my heart.
A college roommate of mine taught me about these, well before I ever even set foot behind a real bar. We’d always start the night off with a couple of these, only to regret the last one the next day.
Champagne is the perfect alcoholic beverage. It has built-in bubbles, so it doesn’t require any special equipment. It’s nice and dry, so you can be sure to avoid the extra-strength headache you’re going to get from sweet drinks. And the buzz you’ll get from Champagne is light and refreshing.
27 Jun 2007 at 4:10 PM 1. Sean
And you are now officially my new favorite drinking buddy. The only variances I have from your list are a general tepidity toward gin (so, I’ll take a voddy tonny), room for the occasional sniff of grappa after a hearty Italian meal, and I often prefer my water sparkling. Otherwise, manhattan, check; negroni, check; a proper martini, checkaroonie.
27 Jun 2007 at 4:45 PM 2. your sista
Didn’t mom also put cough syrup in the egg nog, too?
27 Jun 2007 at 4:55 PM 3. Jason!
In no particular order: Negroni, Ginger Ale and Rye, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Scotch, Gin and Tonic, Ginger Ale, Stout, Red Wine, and Margarita. I did take the trouble of typing up some reasons (or maybe just more words), though.
27 Jun 2007 at 5:39 PM 4. Steve
My all-time favorites include gin & tonic and the Manhattan as well. If I ever try a Richmond Gimlet, I’m sure that will be up there, too.
My other favorites are rye & ginger ale, the Mojito (if made properly), and black rum on the rocks. All winners in my book.
27 Jun 2007 at 8:05 PM 5. Nebuchadnezzar
Maker’s Mark and Ginger Ale, in a tall glass or a tumbler. Or a manhattan, but too presumptuous to make at home. When I’m at a bar and feel like a martini, Grey Goose, up, with a lime. No Vermouth. Now I have to have a drink.
28 Jun 2007 at 12:23 AM 6. Robert Heugel
Hey Jeffery, I am a big fan of your blog and really enjoy your stuff. I wrote a top ten cocktails of all time list a while back on my blog (http://explorethepour.blogspot.com) that kind of ranked the legacies of cocktails. This is the list
1. The Martini
2. The Sazerac
3. The Margarita
4. The Manhattan
5. The Mai Tai
6. The Sidecar
7. The Gin & Tonic
8. The Old Fashioned
9. The Cosmopolitan
10. The Bloody Mary
I will leave the arguments to the blog but figured I would post this as pretty relevant. Now as far as my favorites go, some of those would be on and some would be off, but I think some additions would include a great port, the negroni, and some steroided IPA. Anyway, grea blog – keep up the good work!
28 Jun 2007 at 1:29 AM 7. Jeffrey
Hey Everyone! Great work on this, I’d like to see more!
I love all of your contributions and have always enjoyed y’all’s writing. Keep it up!
28 Jun 2007 at 5:50 AM 8. Stephen Beaumont
Kudos on including the Negroni, Jeffrey, which IMHO is perhaps the ultimate cocktail. I’d throw the Sazarac in there, too, but that’s perhaps quibbling.
A dart for failing to identify your beer style in the “Beer and a Shot,” though. Half is “cool, light and refreshing”? Not if it’s a barleywine, my friend, or Imperial stout or doppelbock or, well, you get the point.
Thing is, I’ve always found that pilsner and a shot (presumably of something whisky/whiskey like) just don’t work together. Pale ale or IPA is better, but still not as good as a best bitter or ESB. And for great harmony, try a brown ale, chilled but not iced to death, or an abbey-style dubbel.
And don’t you dare accuse me of over complicating matters, Mr. “better yet, my housemade cinnamon-cardamom quinine syrup and soda”!
28 Jun 2007 at 7:25 AM 9. Gabriel
I’ll post on this eventually in more detail, but in no particular order:
- Diet Coke (shutup, I can’t help it)
- Corpse Reviver #2
- The Last Word
- Champagne
- Tom Collins (an underrated drink in my opiniom)
- Mojito (at least when I make them)
- Gimlet (I’m most definitely trying the Richmond soon, Jeffrey)
- Martini (I use a 3:1 ratio)
- Martinez
- Espresso/coffee
I’m still doing a lot of exploration but these are ones I always come back to. There was a period, a long period, where I drank Champagne almost exclusively. And that, my friend, is a very expensive and untenable habit. But man is it among the things I’m thankful for every day.
28 Jun 2007 at 8:49 AM 10. Matt
1. Beer – king of alcohol.
2. Bourbon – neat (Knob Creek is my go-to).
3. Old fashioned – and not that orange and cherry muddled abomination you get at most bars, either. 2oz rye, a tsp of simple syrup, two dashes of orange bitters, stirred with ice and garnished with a cherry.
4. Martini – four to one Vya and Plymouth, two dashes of orange bitters, served with a twist.
5. Mai Tai – I make mine kind of like you would a daiquiri (2oz rum, 1oz syrup, 1oz lime), but replace the syrup with a half ounce each of curacao and orgeat.
6. Gin and tonic. Nothing more refreshing on a muggy DC summer day.
28 Jun 2007 at 10:58 AM 11. Jeffrey
Mr. Beaumont, you’re absolutely correct. The beer I usually drink at my neighborhood pub is a bitter called Nebraska Bitter. It’s by McMenamin’s, a big Oregon brewpub company. From their website:
This golden bitter uses fresh Cascade hops in modest amounts to create a more subtle hop flavor and bitterness than its big brother, Hammerhead. Nebraska Bitter was first brewed at the Fulton Pub & Brewery, located in Southwest Portland. This crisp and flavorful ale has become a standard attraction at McMenamin’s taps everywhere.
Malts: Pale Malt; 40L Crystal Malt
Hops: Cascade
Original Gravity: 1.044
Terminal Gravity: 1.008
Alcohol by Weight: 3.6%
Calories/pint: 187
As for the shot? It’s usually bourbon, but (and I’m surprised Sean Bigley didn’t call me out on this) quite often it’s good old Fernet Branca.
28 Jun 2007 at 11:07 AM 12. Wendy
No one has as of yet mentioned my favorite drug of choice…sake.
Served cold, nothing can beat a Daiginjo after a long shift. The flavor is lite, and refreshing and the buzz is one of complete peace with the universe. (Much needed after wanting to shake the shit out of your kitchen, and as well as a few regulars).
Which leads me to my next choice Jager, yes there is a time and place for it. You just have to find yours… possibly prior to a Tool concert, or Christmas night at a Chinese restaurant. Don’t just shoot it, taste it, and you’ll find the bitters that you seek. If I want alot of the same flavors without the stigma or sweetness, Freinet Branca is amazing, but hard to find.
In the realm of refreshing-summers-on- the-patio-drinks. Pimms Cup with a cucumber slice, (crush the ice of course)
Ouzo (pair it with dolmas, mmmmmm)
Thanks Jeff for including the Negroni. I can always tell when someone orders this that they are either a foodie or another bartender. Your Negroni is still the best in town…I bow to you.
As well as the sweaty mess that you work with. (Someone has to be the MaryAnn to your Ginger).
28 Jun 2007 at 11:26 AM 13. Jamie
Ha ha hah! Just like my parents! That was funny!
28 Jun 2007 at 1:51 PM 14. Sean Bigley
Fernet Branca? What could you mean by that? I only let you slide on that one because my internet has been down for the last 24 hours.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Negroni
Gin Martini,3:1
Cucumber Gimlet
Calvados Sidecar
Knob Creek, couple of cubes
Clermont Kiss, one of my creations
Blood and Sand, Charlotte Voisey just
made a great one for
me on Monday.
El Tesoro Paradiso, with Julio of
course.
OK, I guess the list could just go on and on.
As professionals in our field, let’s agree to disagree. I’ll take my Martinis shaken and my Negronis stirred.
Great column!
Cheers to you my friend!
28 Jun 2007 at 3:44 PM 15. The Liquor Boy
Much like my sweaty self,It is the sign
of a hard working bartender to sweat.
But then again, somone has to make up
for your ‘CREATIVE EXPERTISE’, Ginger!
Love, T G IPA,Woodford Reserve, My
Bloody mary(Still the Best In Town)
Sparkling Wines, Meads, Hennessey Ricard, Sidecars as well, and 007 martini’s as only you can make them for me, shaken with two onions and an olive…… I still say, We could rock
Las Vegas next time!!!!!!!!! HOOTERS
HOT WINGS ARE THE BOMB. Your luving
friend………………….
28 Jun 2007 at 8:21 PM 16. Dan
In no particular order…
Beer
Red Wine
Chelsea Sidecar
Richmond Gimlet
Manhattan
Bourbon (neat)
Tom Collins
Whiskey Sour
Cuba Libre
Mint Julep
29 Jun 2007 at 1:48 AM 17. Jeffrey
Looks like Vegas is in the house. I loved Sean’s calvados Sidecar, amazing after a raft of tapas at Firefly and a cachaça tasting.
As for Liquor Boy, I’ll deal with you later….
Jeff
29 Jun 2007 at 6:23 AM 18. Chuck P.
In elegant simplicity and in no particular order…
* Coffee – Except from Starbucks
* Whisky Sour
* Bourbon (Makers Mark or Woodford)
* Gin + Tonic
* Beer, Being from the Cornhusker state, I will have to try the Nebraska Bitter.
* Water
That’s about it. I suppose I would have more if it weren’t for my penchant for dive bars with crappy bartenders. I have had Old Fashoned, Manhattans, and Side Cars, but all have been abomonations. I suspect this is more a product of the creator than the intended creation.
As a side note my favorite drink order is “I’ll have two shots of your crappiest whiskey!” Man, that was a bad night…
29 Jun 2007 at 12:31 PM 19. Scooter
Perhaps…just perhaps…the “other” bartender is a sweaty mess from the stress of having to constantly employ his Jungle Cat Reflexes to avoid being steamrolled. And therefore is entitled to an ocassional Coors Light, sans ball breaking.
29 Jun 2007 at 5:31 PM 20. DougP
In alphabetical order …
Beer (everything from PBR to Guinness)
Coffee
Frisco Sour (yum, Benedictine)
Green Ghost (yum, Chartreuse)
Jack Rose
Last Word
Mai Tai
Manhattan
Negroni (I love Campari)
Old Pal (did I mention that I love Campari?)
… but it might be a different list next week …
30 Jun 2007 at 9:52 AM 21. Darryl
Definitely agree with you on the Sidecar – it’s a classic that I find also has appeal for more modern palates, especially those weaned on Cosmopolitans and strawberry Daiquiris.
And on that note, my personal top 5 (at the moment, and given my relatively small cocktail repertoire):
1. Margarita – Of all the cocktails I make at home, this one satisfies the most often.
2. Mojito – When made properly, the most refreshing drink on the planet.
3. Sidecar – For the same reasons you mentioned: tart, sweet, yet nice and strong. A great flavor combination.
4. Daiquiri – The original, Hemingway-approved version. Much more than the sum of its parts.
5. Pina Colada – Okay, I have a sweet tooth. But pineapple and coconut really do make great bedfellows.
When I’m not in the mood for those, a cold beer, tall glass of ice water, or a shot of neat scotch will do. And in the colder months, replace all of those drinks with anything involving Jack Daniel’s.
30 Jun 2007 at 1:55 PM 22. Kat
My favorites anytime inlude a good glass of merlot and a well made martini. For summer I also have a tendency for mojitos and of course lucky leprechans, both cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. And I can’t forget the goold ole standbys: water (I am obsessed), coffee and beer.
02 Jul 2007 at 8:57 AM 23. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Don’t sweat the sweet tooth, I have a great love for Piña Coladas. I carve out a couple of pineapples once a summer and serve them in the shells!
03 Jul 2007 at 2:29 PM 24. Sean Boudreau
Okay, great idea on the list! However, my list will strictly be liquor related because beer and wine deserve a whole list to themselves.. So here are my favorite bar drinks…
10. Spanish Coffee
9. Gin Fizz
8. Tom Collins (Hendricks)
7. Gin & Tonic
6. Makers & Coke
5. Negroni
4. Extra Dry Martini
3. Whisk(e)y Sour
2. Sidecar
1. Margarita (OVER ICE, NEVER FROZEN!)
That was a tough list! So many favorites, but of course I get plenty of juice and water (w/o alcohol).. Next time I’ll list wine and beer..
Cheers and Happy 4th!
03 Jul 2007 at 6:36 PM 25. Lonnie Bruner
Wonderful, wonderful list. Best, most interesting top 10 drink list I’ve seen.
Hey, you coming to DC for Repeal Day or what?
04 Jul 2007 at 2:04 AM 26. Jeffrey
It’s a lot tougher than it looks, isn’t it?
Thanks, guys, and happy 4th.
Lonnie, I’m working on it, I’m working on it!
22 Sep 2007 at 7:37 PM 27. Noah
Okay I guess it’s my turn…
1-Labatt Blue Dry
2-Libertine
3-Jack and Coke
4-Red table wine
5-Flamming Dr.Pepper
6-Rye and Seven
7-Drambuie-Soda
8-Mojito
9-Long Island
10-Mailbu-Sprite
14 Jul 2008 at 12:27 PM 28. Eric
Stumbled upon this page by chance, and I like the looks of lots of these lists — and the Richmond Gimlet.
Thought I might as well chime in with ten favorites of my own, in no particular order:
- Drambuie and warm milk, on any given winter night
- Myers’s rum daiquiri, made with Key limes, and NEVER frozen
- Cinnamon Manhattan, on the rocks with Knob Creek, fortified with Goldschläger and a dash of cherry syrup
- Tomato martini, with Ketel One, the freshest tomatoes you can find, a pinch of onion, dry vermouth, and black pepper
- Fresh peach & Chambord margarita, with Don Julio blanco tequila
- Hennessy sidecar, with Cointreau and Meyer lemon
- Chipotle-raspberry Bloody Mary, with Stoli Rasberi
- Mint julep, preferably with Knob Creek
- Fresh jalapeño Don Julio blanco tequila martini, with a lime twist
29 Sep 2008 at 9:25 AM 29. Lux
Gotta offer my 2 cents…
1. Cheap Spanish Red Table Wine
2. Cheap French Pinot Noir
3. Navy Black Strap Rum & Diet Coke
4. Jet Pilot
5. Titos or V6 and fresh squeezed OJ
6. Mai Tai
7. Malibu, coconut and Pineapple
8. Pina Colada with a Meyers floater
9. Bloody Mary with Hot Pickled Ocra
10.White Russian
24 Oct 2008 at 12:07 PM 30. Garretto
Man, were spirit mates!
Couple diffs, no order.
10. Martini-Gin,Twist,or Anchovy Olives.
9. Negroni, rocks with Orang twist
8. Sidecare, Jerez Brandy
7. Bourbon Renewal –just like Jeff created it.
6. Manhattan, bourbon, twist
5. Beer and Beam
4. Tequila, 100% Agave, all ages.
3. Glenlivet 12yr, simple go -to
2. Anjeo Highball, per Degroff
1. Rum Coke…per Jeff’s recipe.
24 Apr 2009 at 7:49 AM 31. Ryan
No order for me:
10. Duvel
9. Kwak
8. Isle of Jura
7. Ginger Beer
6. Ginger Juice (honey+lemon, no apple juice!)
5. Chocolate Silk
4. Vodka Martini, only one olive.
3. Long Island
2. Kentucky Coffee
1. Peets latte
I haven’t been fortunate enough to find any great mixed drinks at bars as I’ve probably not found the right bars. Perhaps I’ll find some new favorites in trying your recipes at home..
17 Oct 2012 at 11:22 AM 32. Jeff Roberts
1. Walker Fifty (Johnnie Walker Black and Labbatt 50
2.Godfather 1oz Amaretto,1.5oz Scotch
2 oz of fresh orange juice creates a BOOMER.
3.Caesar not one of those fake American Caesar’s. Sorry guys and dolls but Canada has you beat on the Bloody Caesar.
4.Old Fashioned
5.Port
6.Negroni