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 May 2008 at 10:22 AM 1. Lance J. Mayhew
Thanks for making me hungry this morning. We’re going to have to get together and cook sometime soon.
27 May 2008 at 11:06 AM 2. Sku
Have you tried St. George Absinthe, from St. George spirits in Alameda, California? I prefer it to Lucid as it has more powerful herbal notes and is a bit less sweet.
27 May 2008 at 11:30 AM 3. Nick
Beautiful pictures, and delicious sounding menu, too! One thing to be aware of; tombo (aka albacore) tuna typically contains very high levels of methylmercury. You can google around for varieties of fish, including other tuna species, that are healthier to eat.
I’m going to try the Gorgonzola dressing tonight!
27 May 2008 at 12:01 PM 4. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Thanks, guys!
Sku, I haven’t had the opportunity to try the St. George yet, as it hasn’t arrived in Oregon.
Nick, thanks for that. I know it’s not the best thing in the world for me, but does it ever taste so good…
27 May 2008 at 12:29 PM 5. erik_flannestad
Looks great, Jeff. Nice creative use of depth of field in the photos. I am now officially ravenous.
Is the wasabi cream dairy or mayonnaise based?
27 May 2008 at 12:42 PM 6. Mark Morgenthaler
That wouldn’t be a Canon EOS camera you using by any chance?
27 May 2008 at 8:01 PM 7. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Erik – The wasabi cream is just creme fraiche with a little wasabi paste added. It’s a snap!
And yes, Dad, that would be a Canon camera I’m using. Someone had to learn how to use it!
28 May 2008 at 5:33 AM 8. Kevin Erskine
Jeffrey, could you please clear up the difference between Absinthe & Absenthe/Absente?
I’m tired of people telling me how they tried Absenthe and I have to burst their bubble that they haven’t really tried Absinthe.
28 May 2008 at 5:37 AM 9. Kevin Erskine
Also here’s a bit of trivia for you..the Louche was apparently designed into the drink – this was to prevent your servants from drinking your absinthe and then adding water to get the level back up.
28 May 2008 at 11:22 AM 10. ND
Hokay, I live in a land where restaurants cook fish for 15–25 minutes on average. Please could you walk us through the steps to get those tuna steaks so beautifully pink inside?
29 May 2008 at 8:21 AM 11. Aimee Scarlett
I second Erksine’s request! Beautiful photos. Next time you’re in Portland, come visit at MASU East. I ordered in Lucid last week. Now I just need a louche.
29 May 2008 at 1:47 PM 12. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Aimee, sweetie, I really hate to see you fall in with the wrong crowd, that Erskine character is trouble with a capital “T”. Trust me ;)
However, I will say that the simple difference between absinthe and the commercial product named Absente is the absence of grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), which is one of the primary flavoring agents in absinthe.
Absente uses southern wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum), which may yield a similar flavor, but it’s just not the same.
Oh, and for ND, it’s simple. Use a very hot pan with a tiny bit of oil, sear for about a minute and a half on each side, and call it quits.
Hope this helps, everyone.
02 Jun 2008 at 7:39 AM 13. Dominik MJ - opinionated alchemist
Hey Jeffrey – this pairing opened my eyes! I never thought about pairing absinthe (or any other anisseed based liquors), as the flavors are so overwhelming! I’ll definitely give it another try as soon as I find a bottle of decent Absithe in Dubai!
The spelling of absinthe is a point which is really confusing: Absenta is Spanish for absinthe, absinth is normally the spelling of Czech products and absenthe is of my knowledge just the brand name of a commercial product which is not really absinthe…
Cheers!
02 Jun 2008 at 7:49 AM 14. ND
Pretty cool! I usually like my steaks so rare, as we say over here, that a good vet would be able to bring them back from the other side, so this tuna will probably go down real well (although the missus is a bit squeamish—guess I’ll have to blindfold her…).
I remember reading one of your articles about a guy who just drank Lemon Drops the whole night, and you commented on people not understanding the aperitif/digestif value of drinks. Which drinks do you recommend for this kind of purpose please?
03 Jun 2008 at 10:21 AM 15. Alan
Good post you prick.
23 Jun 2008 at 6:45 AM 16. Alan Moss
Hi Jeffrey,
I agree that absinthe has a lot of potential with food, especially with fish dishes where the fennel content of some absinthes works really well.
09 Jul 2008 at 7:03 AM 17. Mata
Yummy! Going to try that gorgonzola dressing soon! Wish you’d cook for me!
14 Jul 2008 at 8:27 AM 18. Dw
I made this (minus the absinthe). It was really good! Thanks for posting.
15 Feb 2009 at 10:27 PM 19. Absinthe
I am very happy that I found your blog. Keep up the good work.
02 Jul 2009 at 2:18 PM 20. DrewCrew
What about with a dessert course, I was thinking:
a Mochi Rice Cake or Roasted Pinapple, what are your thoughts….
04 Mar 2012 at 1:17 PM 21. Jer
I like It goes with chips and salsa as weird as that sounds… It is the way that absinthe has this amazing quality to immediately cool and sweeten the palate. I have even gotten in to the habit of drinking mine even without sugar and it still does not cease to surprise me in the ways that it can compliment things.