It’s Old Fashioned Week! Other than an excuse to drink a delicious, classic cocktail, Elijah Craig (a bourbon produced by Heaven Hill Distillery) also uses the week to promote local bars and raise money for a good cause: The Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation is the beneficiary of funds raised during the event. Money raised goes toward direct financial assistance to individuals, as well as grants and interest-free loans for other entities.
Popular local bars joining in include Barkeep, Burger Punk, Frida, Jimmy B’s, Lobby Bar, Ponyboy, Pub W, R&J Lounge and Supper Club, Scratch (Norman), The Hamilton, and The Winston. A full list of participating bars can be found at OldFashionedWeek.com.
The cocktail’s recipe has changed over the years, and craft-forward bars don’t muddle fruit or use sugar cubes anymore. And while the venerable New York Times recommends building the drink in the same glass in which it’s consumed, we prefer using a mixing glass and then straining over one large ice cube or sphere.
The Old Fashioned
- 2 ounces Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon (other recipes call for 1.5, but we like whiskey)
- .25 ounce simple syrup (this is plenty, as bourbon is already sweet-ish)
- 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Orange peel expressed and then tossed in the bin so you don’t bitter up the drink
- Combine bourbon, simple and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well-mixed and chilled. Strain over one large ice cube or sphere in a rocks glass. Express the peel. Enjoy.
Pro tip: For variations in flavor, change up the bitters (tobacco, chocolate, smoked orange, etc.).
