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.
Most Popular Articles
A side project, an experiment or just a simple curiosity that turned into a delicious phenomenon that we're still serving to much delight at our bar, barrel aged cocktails explore the gentle manipulation of a drink's flavors over time. This post details the inspiration, the history and the methods behind my barrel aged cocktails.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
Turned off by the glop you find in the grocery store, and unable to endure another long egg and cream whipping session, I set out to build an egg nog recipe from the ground up that retained the character of the orginal formula, was easy to make in a few minutes at home or at the bar, and tasted absolutely delicious. See if you agree with the result.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
The problem with living in Oregon is the absence of little wooden shacks by the sea that sell cases of fresh ginger beer stacked on back porches. But with some readily-available ingredients, a recipe I've been revising for several years - and a few free minutes - I can easily transport myself to a little fishing boat on the ocean as I sip a Dark and Stormy made with fresh, house-made ginger beer.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning "little blood") is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
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.
20 Mar 2009 at 6:24 AM 1. Heath Hutto
So that’s the new bar, eh? Looks decent enough for being in foreign parts.
Enjoyed the video!
20 Mar 2009 at 6:44 AM 2. Eugenia
But where’s the sour mix? I don’t understand. And you didn’t wipe your nose. C’mon, Jeff. (It was good to “see” you!)
20 Mar 2009 at 8:20 AM 3. Cheryl Charming
Great job! I personally like to stir with the disc end of the spoon. Seems to work better for me.
Cheers!
Cheryl
20 Mar 2009 at 8:42 AM 4. Chris
Jeffrey – It may be too early in the morning, but I thought that it sounded clear and concise! I sure could go for a sidecar now. Bravo, sir.
Chris
20 Mar 2009 at 8:46 AM 5. JohnTheBastard
2:1 Manhattan! Sweet!
20 Mar 2009 at 9:13 AM 6. sku
I agree with Eugenia. Also, not enough cleavage…you’re never going to make it as a YouTube bartender all covered up like that.
20 Mar 2009 at 9:21 AM 7. Steve Raye
Excellent explanation, (can I have your autograph.)
20 Mar 2009 at 9:28 AM 8. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Aw, thanks, everyone. And I’ll try to show a little more skin on the next one. Just be careful of what you wish for…
20 Mar 2009 at 9:29 AM 9. Blair Frodelius
Where did the cherry in the Manhattan come from? Inquiring minds want to know…
20 Mar 2009 at 9:33 AM 10. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Blair – It’s an Amarena cherry I’ve left to soak in brandy and maraschino liqueur for two months.
20 Mar 2009 at 9:41 AM 11. Luke
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
20 Mar 2009 at 10:02 AM 12. Andy Stewart
I’m sorely disappointed.
No sour mix, measured spirits as opposed to splashes, no cleavege…
You’ve let us down man.
I demand you redo it and make a Wet Pussy whilst wearing a muscle T.
20 Mar 2009 at 10:28 AM 13. Mata
Love it! But have to admit I was cracking up the entire 3 minutes – such the serious bar tender! Guess I only know you outside of the bar when we were “kids” so this grown up Jeff – whoa! Very cool, very impressed! Big kiss!
20 Mar 2009 at 10:54 AM 14. Nathan
When making a stirred cocktail I always add the ice to the glass first, then pour in the room-temperature ingredients before the refrigerated stuff. This way the cocktail has just that much more time to chill. Or am I fooling myself?
20 Mar 2009 at 10:58 AM 15. Jessica Roberts
Hey, you use the little Oxo Good Grips measuring cups too? I love them! Last year I gave them to everybody as stocking stuffers.
20 Mar 2009 at 11:09 AM 16. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Nathan – I find that it is best to add all ingredients to the mixing glass ‘dry’ – or without ice – to minimize melting as you build the cocktail. Sure, you’re giving the drink more time to chill – I guess – but what you’re really doing is introducing a whole bunch of melted ice into the drink and therefore watering it down.
20 Mar 2009 at 11:21 AM 17. John Claude
Very nice, Jeffrey. I’d suggest a signature outfit like Robert or Jamie. Maybe a nice party dress?
I see way too many bartenders doing the limp wristed up and down shaking. You might as well have a sten talk with the drink to mix it. The only things that scares me more is a bartender who shakes vigorously with the glass facing the customers. I saw that go awry once. You can only imagine.
And Nathan, the drink is going to get just as cold with the ice added post liquid. It’s especially handy if you’re building multiple cocktails at the bar at the same time. Imagine how watered down drink number five will be by the time you get around to shaking/stirring it. My order of making things when spitting out an order is Wine -> Cocktails -> Beer to keep them all as fresh as possible. Beer on the end so it doesn’t go flat and it only takes a couple seconds anyway so it’s not like your cocktails will go warm in that time. Wine first so it can breathe.
20 Mar 2009 at 11:32 AM 18. Sara
You are far too hard on yourself — that was great! Smart and fun to watch. And you managed to look hot even without your usual crop top.
20 Mar 2009 at 11:37 AM 19. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Aw, thanks for making me blush, Sara.
20 Mar 2009 at 11:40 AM 20. mike ryan
oh man, rittenhouse and carpano…tasty stuff, sir.
20 Mar 2009 at 12:25 PM 21. chuck
I just got my email from Imbibe:
Introducing the Imbibe Sips Video Series!
We’re thrilled to announce the debut of our highly anticipated Imbibe Sips video series, a fun and interactive look at the techniques, tips and recipes we share in every issue of the magazine. The premiere episode, sponsored by Tuaca Italian liqueur, features bartender extraordinaire Jeffrey Morgenthaler covering the principles behind shaking versus stirring cocktails.
Imbibe Sips video clip
Jeff will be appearing in other upcoming episodes, and you can look forward to new episodes every couple of weeks. You can watch the series on our website or subscribe to our videos on Blip.tv or YouTube. We’ll also be on iTunes soon, and we’ll be sure to announce the podcast on our blog. In the meantime, if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes, e-mail us with your suggestions.
Very nice video sir
20 Mar 2009 at 12:39 PM 22. Matt Lanning
JM, a fine presentation as always! And your friends would always be the ones to bust your chops if you had blown it on video… no such luck! hope to see you in the PDX soon…
20 Mar 2009 at 12:50 PM 23. Kevin Langmack
Fuck and YES!!!
20 Mar 2009 at 1:05 PM 24. Jac
It was… okay, I guess.
But when you don’t pick your nose, mispronounce the drink names or use the simple syrup bottle when pouring your base spirit, it’s just not as fun.
20 Mar 2009 at 1:39 PM 25. Siobhan
You make us so proud, Jeff. I knew you were in front of the camera-ready from the first time I came to see you in action in Eugene a couple years ago.
Watching you build a drink is seriously an art. I am just mad I have a few months until my next Manhattan; during the process, watching Manhattan after Manhattan—it was torture for a pregnant woman!!
20 Mar 2009 at 2:52 PM 26. ND
Awesome, awesome stuff to blow my precious bandwidth on. Thank you.
On a side note, it’s good to see that you add lots of ice, like America (you could also try giving a little wink when you name the drinks).
20 Mar 2009 at 4:17 PM 27. Ross
Smartly done, sir. Man, you weren’t kidding about shaking the everloving bajeesus out of your drinks!
I feel I’ve learned something today: you can still look snappy in a tie and vest even with a short-sleeved shirt! (I may have learned a thing or two about chilling drinks, too.)
20 Mar 2009 at 4:23 PM 28. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Thanks, Ross – But that’s a long-sleeved shirt I’ve got on, I just roll the sleeves up when I’m about to get my hands dirty ;)
20 Mar 2009 at 7:55 PM 29. Matt Schacht
What was that yellow thing that you squeeezed into the sidecar? Is it related to a lime? I’ve heard of those being common in times past, but not used by today’s futuristic peoples.
20 Mar 2009 at 8:13 PM 30. Jon Hughes
Awesome stuff – clear explanation, drinks look fantastic. Liked your aside about shaking; I’m always amazed how much effort it takes to get new bar staff to move the shaker rather than holding it still and moving their entire body.
Great shaking face too!
20 Mar 2009 at 10:29 PM 31. Jeremy
Not only was this a fine video, I appreciated the editing job done; no dead air, or mindless banter trying to fill the dead air and saying something stupid (and wrong).
It gave me a better appreciation of stirring, I confess that I shake way too many of my drinks.
/me goes to find one of those neat stirrers for home.
/me also wants a sidecar too.
20 Mar 2009 at 11:55 PM 32. jerdawg
well done jeff! smooth and classy, just like the drinks…;-)
21 Mar 2009 at 5:22 PM 33. Karama Billick
Perfect as always Jeff,
It was great to see you, even if just in video. Makes me want to drive 2 hrs. to Ptld. Just to watch you shake a cocktail!
but.. you did make drinks that were easy to pronounce:-)
22 Mar 2009 at 2:48 PM 34. Jeff Frane
I noticed that you did not put a rim of sugar on the Sidecar, for which I applaud you. Clap clap clap.
Nicely-done video, although I could swear your voice is deeper in person. Maybe it’s the tight vest . . .
23 Mar 2009 at 8:45 AM 35. Tokyo Tea
I definitely need to be spending more on clothing and less on bad habits. Was curious as to how you feel about olive juice? I’ve polled a few of the bartenders I trust around here as to their take on stirring or shaking dirty martinis with varied responses. Anyone have strong opinions on this either way?
23 Mar 2009 at 1:16 PM 36. John Claude
TT.
I definitely still stir dirty martinis. I guess I can’t really give you a reason why, but it’s just how I feel it should be done.
23 Mar 2009 at 1:22 PM 37. Blair Frodelius
Tokyo,
Since a well made martini should always be stirred, I’ve always stirred when using brine. Granted, it is a bit of a cloudy addition (like juice), so if using in something like a tequila based drink, you could probably safely shake away. It really all comes down to preference.
Blair
23 Mar 2009 at 4:34 PM 38. Tokyo Tea
Totally agree fellas. Possibly due to its extremely light translusiveness (bar grammar?)and the fact that I rarely use more than a 1/4 oz. I follow the same suit but preference of the patron is always a priority too with me Blair.
23 Mar 2009 at 7:35 PM 39. Amelia Sauter aka Felicia
Excellent explanation, and count me in as one of your viewers who is now inexplicably thirsty.
23 Mar 2009 at 8:21 PM 40. John Claude
Yeah, I will get the patrons who want me to as one person put it “shake it to death and then shake it some more”. It’s their martini, I just die a little inside, but with a smile on my face. Rarely will anyone preface the order with a stir or shake preference though.
24 Mar 2009 at 3:18 AM 41. ND
I’ve always wondered about the thing of stirring in the mixing glass, though. I mean, steel is a conductor, and glass is a bit of an insulator, so in theory you should be able to get the drink colder faster by stirring in the tin, correct? Are drinks mixed in the glass for aesthetics only, or is there another reason?
24 Mar 2009 at 1:02 PM 42. Garretto
Bravo! Look out Drinkboy!
Will you be posting all your Imbibe videos here?
After reading you’re articles and stealing your recipes for months now, it’s great to see you in action. That Sidecar has me aching to get out of the office and make one. I shall, and I’ll even apply the double-strain, which I have never done.
Thanks,
G
24 Mar 2009 at 4:46 PM 43. Rafe
Nice presentation. I agree with Garretto, Robert has some competition!
Being an exacting viewer, though, it would have been nice to see you illustrate in parallel what a shaken Manhattan would look like (or a stirred Sidecar). This would give a clear example of what the cocktail looks like when prepared incorrectly.
24 Mar 2009 at 6:33 PM 44. Brian Rea
Jeffrey, very stylish, very fine basic info, especially with the double strain. Eons ago when I tended bar,
we rimmed the Sidecar glass with a blend of sugar
and coarse salt, which did add another dementia to that FINE cocktail. You have made me quite thirsty,
so I shall have an adult beverage!
24 Mar 2009 at 9:00 PM 45. Jonathan B.
Job well done. Am I delusional or is there a Bobby Flay vibe and look (sans new york irish accent) to our friend Jeffery in this 3 minute and 44 second jem?
I mean this as a compliment (one hopes).
24 Mar 2009 at 11:09 PM 46. John Claude
Rafe.
The shaken Manhattan would look like the sidecar with a slightly different hue and vice versa.
25 Mar 2009 at 2:06 PM 47. Jill
Hi Jeffrey,
Being a total cocktail novice (but with a high level of appreciation) I thought your video was great- clear, to the point, and effective- quite unlike the cachaca video you “highlighted” earlier. Well done!
25 Mar 2009 at 2:07 PM 48. Mark
Very nice video – well done!
Regarding shaken cocktails on a side note. I like to shake ’til there’s frost on the outside and I can’t take the cold. My three-year old son is well-trained in that when he hears the shaker going he’ll run in to lick the bottom of the tin. A little gross if he’s in the middle of eating something but what can you do.
I can’t wait ’til he’s tall enough to see over the bar so I can get him to fix me my cocktails – on the other hand, to paraphrase Steve Allen, Never let children mix your cocktails; they use too much vermouth and it’s unseemly.
25 Mar 2009 at 3:04 PM 49. Garretto
Is it a coincidence? Today Jamie Boudreau posted a shaking-how-to video on the Small Screen Network.
He only covered how to use a Boston Shaker —the banana coupling of the glass and tin, and where exactly to tap it for easy separation. Both points I had not considered and my shaker will be happy when I skip the usual beating next round.
Very good tips actually, coupled with your lengthier, more encompassing video the novice has the complete works of Shakesphere.
(sorry). Anyway, your both great sources; did you guys work this out together?
25 Mar 2009 at 5:39 PM 50. Rick
Jeff,
Everything about this video is excellent. Your technique is impeccable.
I hope this series continues into the far future. Cheers!
30 Mar 2009 at 3:17 PM 51. Smach
Might I recommend something mesh for the next video? And black lights, you NEED black lights! Back-up dancers? Back-up Shake Dancers!
10 Apr 2009 at 3:46 PM 52. Thomas Smith
I miss my bartender! Great video. Now I gotta run, I need a drink!
21 Apr 2009 at 8:17 AM 53. Walt
Great job all the way around. But at my age that proper shaking technique is wrecking my shoulder!
16 Jun 2009 at 10:24 AM 54. Ivana
Great video, good explanation! Good looks :)))
One question: What ratio of ingredients do you use in your sidecar?
16 Jun 2009 at 12:44 PM 55. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Ivana – Thanks! The Sidecar recipe I use is:
2 oz cognac
1 oz Cointreau
¾ oz lemon juice
11 Jul 2009 at 11:16 PM 56. formulaben
Jeff, the people have spoken, we need to see you wipe/pick your nose in the next video. How else will we know you are a pro?!
DO IT FOR THE KIDS!!
Seriously though, keep up the great work, you’re awesome!
03 Jun 2011 at 3:02 PM 57. Johnny
My favorite sidecar I’ve ever had is
2 oz Brandy
1 oz Cointreau
Splash of Lemon Juice
Splash of Orange Juice