Thank you! I was utterly perplexed. Long day yesterday apparently!
Speaking of sugar, does the type of sugar really matter? Jason mentioned demerara, and Brett is using agave nectar. How much nectar do you use in place of a cube?
I use 2 drops, about the circumference of a dime roughly. Agave is sweeter than sugar so a little goes a long way.
The old fashioned way
Courtesy of Rachel Maddow
I usually use about two barspoons of demerara in my old fashioned (I have a bag of loose sugar, rather than cubes… but that’s just because it’s what’s convenient at the store for me). I like demerara for two reasons. First, I like to think it lends the cocktail a little more of a caramel flavor. It’s entirely possible, though, that this is purely psychological given the small amount of sugar in the drink. Second, demerara has larger grains which don’t all dissolve in my drink. I enjoy that the drink gets a bit sweeter at the end, as I hit those undissolved bits. Gives the drink a nice evolution.
If I feel more like a syrup, it’s usually because I want a bit more texture (and consistency) to the drink. I will make either a rich simple syrup or, preferably, gomme syrup. The latter is surprisingly easy to make if you can find gum arabic powder. Gives the drink a wonderful silky texture. I use 1/4 to 1/2 oz to 3 oz of liquor. And, again, I can’t recommend Jamie Boudreau’s recipe, above, enough… he makes his simple syrup with a combination of whiskey and angostura… in case you don’t want any water touching your drink, even in the form of simple syrup!
speaking of weller…here’s a OF using Weller 12, cherry smoke and maple syrup… at 120fps
Mid-grade bourbon (Makers Mark, Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace), anything better should not have additives.
An orange peel, Woodford Reserve spiced cherry bitters, and a couple dashes of sugar (I don’t like as much sweetness).
Oversized ice cube
Sugar type matters for sure for both flavor and texture. Try using superfine or granulated sugar vs demerara/turbinado. Or go in different directions with agave syrup, honey syrup, maple syrup (grade B, please!). Try making a gum syrup for a different textural element.
Regarding quantity…I usually make a 1:1 syrup with honey or agave and with that I’d start with a tsp in an OF.
Thanks for the feedback. Been making Old Fashioneds for a while. I’ve got some Demerara cubes, but of late, been using the packs of the Raw sugar for convenience and cost. Bought some agave nectar this weekend to try.
Been using one pack, with just enough water (or soda) and bitters (I’m heavy handed on the Peychaud’s cherry bitters) to muddle the sugar. As Jason mentioned, I don’t mind a few grains and a sweeter drink at the end, and I too like the caramel taste the darker sugar lends to the drink. However, sometimes after muddling, I’ll let it set a few minutes to let it further dissolve. I’ve found I like bourbon over rye, seems more suited to the cherry bitters. If I have them, I may add a cherry or two to enjoy a drunk cherry at the end (plus, I could eat a jar of those things if I didn’t think I would go into a diabetic coma). (BTW, Ole Smoky makes a jar of cocktail cherries sitting in moonshine that is great in cocktails)
The Fee bitters sounded familiar. Realized I have a bottle of the cherry here at home. Binny’s sells their products. Binny’s also has Licor 43, and I bought a bottle this weekend. My wife LOVED the stuff. Made a couple this weekend using it. With a heavy hand, no need for sugar, and it adds an interesting element (orange, vanilla and some more herbs). Experimenting with the agave nectar is next on my list.
I guess there are endless tweaks to the OFOF. Here is another, though the exact recipe is not given. Cocktail Profile: Blaze-A-Trail | Alcohol Professor
James, that Novasalus is the most potent potable bitters I’ve ever had.
So, you recommend?? 
For sure!
My first experience was something like…first sip “wtf did I just do???” second sip “cough, sputter, hmmm, why do I keep trying more?” third sip “damn this is good but I think I’ll stop here”.
So good in small doses on its own and very small doses in cocktails. I’m sure there is someone out there using it as a base spirit!
switched from sugar to a little agave syrup, using Fee Bros. bitters, Luxardo cherries and a slice of orange (removing part of the rind before muddling), using either Blanton’s or Willet bourbon, straining to avoid any fruit chunks . . . loving it.
great advice. Every time I meet an ancient, I ask, “please tell me the secret to your long life is alcohol and stress.”
Having just had the best Old Fashions/variations I’ve ever had at a bar in Canberra called The Kremlin, I’ll pipe in.
They used Woodford Reserve except as mentioned below. It was a little crowded but I did chat with the bartender and Old Fashions were his favorite thing and he loved playing with them. From memory.
Peach Old Fashioned: The Whiskey had been infused with peach. No bits of fruits. Delicious.
Chesnut Old Fashioned: Black Cherry Bitters and a splash of some kind of chestnut liqueur - yowser! The most complex.
Maple Syrup Old Fashioned: The smoothest and crowd favorite.
Rum Old Fashioned - sacrilege? I had my serious doubts. Mount Gay Rum, This was awesome!
I usually use Rye and mine have been less creative to date!
Drinking my first old fashioned, and it’s pretty good. Heaping 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar, mixed with about 4 dashes Angostura bitters, a tiny bit of water (maybe a teaspoon), 2 oz Rittenhouse 100, and two twists of lemon. Two standard ice cubes. Nice change of pace from my usual whiskey sour. Next time I’ll try muddling the lemon peel; seems like a crucial component, adding freshness; after tasting it with one twist, the second twist made the drink. Demerara sounds like a nice touch, but I didn’t have any on hand.
Don Draper’s drink of choice, in Mad Men, was an old fashioned. This link below purports to illustrate how it is made. It does have a capper not mentioned here.
https://snapguide.com/guides/make-an-old-fashioned-mad-men-style/
Have really enjoyed the Miracle Mile line-up of bitters, myself, per the cocktail thread. Favorite for an old fashioned has probably been the Forbidden Bitters, which is more of a vanilla-like spike than anything else.
I’ve always used bourbon in my Old Fashions, but rye in my Manhattans. shrug On the Manhattan side, I use Carpano Antica and Luxardo cherries.
Both Fee Brothers and Miracle Mile are readily found on the West Coast via K&L. I believe I’ve seen Fee at Total Wine, as well, but don’t recall exactly.