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.
01 May 2008 at 11:21 AM 1. Sku
After you posted the video of Chris McMillian making the Sazerac, I was captivated and watched all of his videos on YouTube. The guy is the consummate professional and a font of cocktail knowledge.
The mint julep video, though, was probably my favorite. It’s great to see someone so invested in both the history and practice of his craft.
01 May 2008 at 11:58 AM 2. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Amen to that. Chris has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand in every episode. If only I could be this good…
01 May 2008 at 1:43 PM 3. Jac
Wow…
That’s about all I can say about the McMillian video.
01 May 2008 at 4:56 PM 4. Boavida
Great post!!
Do you know if McMillian has any internet presence besides the NOLA videos?
01 May 2008 at 9:05 PM 5. Tyler
A Mint Julep made like a Mojito, classic… The best bit was adding the sour mix or maybe the sprite!!!!!
02 May 2008 at 12:54 AM 6. charlie
Wonderful stuff, but those guys take about 3 minutes to make that bugger. How can I do this at a bar with nice drinks (though it’s certainly no Employees Only), but a three-deep wait? It’s the night before the Derby; you know someone will ask for it.
02 May 2008 at 8:01 AM 7. blair frodelius
I’ve got a few interesting Mint Juleps listed on Good Spirits News this week. Also, since Cinco de Mayo is coming up, I have some Margaritas, too.
http://goodspiritsnews.spaces.live.com
Blair
02 May 2008 at 8:10 AM 8. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Charlie
This is easy, you can do it. Grab a glass, measure out a quarter-ounce of simple. Toss in a small handful of mint leaves and press them gently with your muddler. Add whiskey. Throw in some crushed ice. Garnish.
It’s really that simple. The only trick to not taking three minutes to make a mint julep like these guys is that you won’t be talking the whole time.
Good luck.
Jeff
02 May 2008 at 9:49 AM 9. weso
Ok. Great videos!
I’m definitely going to see to making one of these tomorrow and maybe share one with my stepfather.
One thing though, I’ve never seen someone break up ice with a HUGE wooden hammer. What’s up with that? Does anyone have a link to more info?
02 May 2008 at 11:28 AM 10. Dan
McMillian’s video was great, but I prefer Jeff’s Julep recipe.
02 May 2008 at 4:50 PM 11. Kelsey Crenshaw
I cracked up when Mr. Mcmillan crushed the ice, not even missing a beat in his poem. Thanx for sharing Jeff. I like Big truck…. Have fun. Oh and I agree the cup is the difference! I woulda sent you the Bunda from down unda if I had the cash!!! Keep up the excellent information.
02 May 2008 at 9:17 PM 12. innerlegend
always thought mint juleps sounded better than they tasted, but this recipe has me inspired to try again. thanks for the reminder about the kentucky derby, too!
if you’re looking for bartender gear that’s in touch with your inner child, then click on my name above.
peace :)
04 May 2008 at 2:48 AM 13. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I’m going to be browsing the woodworking shops around here looking for a gigantic wooden mallet like Chris’ for myself – stay tuned!
05 May 2008 at 12:14 PM 14. Tiare
Great Video!
05 May 2008 at 3:11 PM 15. heckler
thanks for the midtown manhattan and manhattan 43 the other day. you inspired me to buy a bottle of old overholt.
next time….a midtown manhattan served like the manhattan 43. the only problem – where to put the cherry, but that’s easy. on a toothpick like in a martini.
08 May 2008 at 2:28 PM 16. charlie
Just an update on what happened last Friday night: There was indeed an order for a mint julep and it did happen during our big rush, but it was one of my co-horts who took the order. I’d emailed him your link (thanks for that!), but we don’t have a Lewis bag or a mallet, so I watched in amusement and sympathy as he struggled to make crushed ice with his muddler in a short shaker. Aside from that part he did well, but I had to turn away as we don’t have mint julep cups, either. Given the circumstances, he did a good job and the guest took it in stride, bless her heart.
As for the lack of proper equipment, I’d consider a Ziploc bag and an empty champagne bottle, but the bar is made of stone and no drink is worth a handfull of stitches. I doubt we’ll have much call for them until next May, anyway.
08 May 2008 at 2:57 PM 17. blair frodelius
I’ve used a Ziploc bag and a wooden mallet. Works ok, but the bag is only good for one drink.
By the way, where did the Lewis Bag get it’s name? Did it have anything to do with the Savoy?
Blair
08 May 2008 at 2:57 PM 18. blair frodelius
I’ve used a Ziploc bag and a wooden mallet. Works ok, but the bag is only good for one drink since the ice fills it full of holes and tears.
By the way, where did the Lewis Bag get it’s name? Did it have anything to do with the Savoy?
Blair
09 May 2008 at 6:11 AM 19. Chuck P.
What I lack in bartending knowlege I make up for in carpentry. Do a search for Carpenter’s Mallet — I saw a nice one on Amazon for less than 20 bucks. Most are smaller than the one in the video. The big mallett looks cool but keep in mind you would be swinging it around behind a cramped bar and lets face it, its just ice. Ladies and smaller gents might have trouble swinging a 3-4 pound hammer.
12 May 2008 at 2:50 PM 20. Aimee Scarlett
My favorite Mint Julep recipe actually calls for Ezra Brooks bourbon, copious xxx amounts of mint, and a delicate splash of rum on top. And of course, a silver cup simply crammed to capacity with ice.
It really makes a nice version.
I’m working on making up an Eight Belles cocktail in honor of the filly.
13 May 2008 at 6:12 AM 21. Kevin Erskine
I had a friend call me this weekend about “How to make a Mint Julep”.
I told him .5 parts simple syrup muddled with Mint. Add 2 parts Bourbon.
He asked for the recipe for simple syrup.
“1 part sugar, 1 part water”
Are you SURE there is no lime in a Mint Julep?
“Absolutely”
When I got to his house I tried one…they were horrible.
Turns out he had made simple syrup with 2 parts sugar to 1 part water (“I found that on the Internet”) And he used Jack Daniels.
Why bother calling me?
13 May 2008 at 10:42 AM 22. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Erskine, I feel your pain. Believe me.
18 May 2008 at 5:32 PM 23. Mark
oh my…the Reserve Julep? WTF was that all about?!?!!? I am no expert on mint juleps, but come on! That couldn’t be further away from the recipe. Thanks for the chuckle!
On a side note…Woodford Reserve is one of my favorite sipping bourbons. If you haven’t tried it, grab up a bottle. Between $30-$35 in my part of Florida.
29 Jan 2009 at 7:01 PM 24. Galin
Great posting as always Jeff. nice twist on the drink in my opinion is with 1/2 oz float of Xante Pear brandy on the top. my julep cups are quite tall and the drink usualy fills 3/4 of the volume leaving an ever important room to stick your nose in the cup and
draw a breath of the wonderfull freshness of the mint. ;)
22 Apr 2010 at 9:44 AM 25. chad
too bad about the lewis bag. wish this guy was around at the time
derbyco.etsy.com