Old-Fashioned

The Old-Fashioned Cocktail is genuine cocktail. Actually, as Jerry Thomas suppose, cocktail is mix of strong spirit, bitter, sugar and water. Consequently the old-fashioned is the cocktail. Whiskey cocktail. Simple but famous and great.

The Old-Fashioned Cocktail was created in the Pendennis Club in Loisville, Kentucky circa 1890. This cocktail consist of whiskey (bourbon as a rule or rye), cocktails bitter (Angostura is common), sugar and water. The standart recipe and preparation is follows:

Old-Fashioned

1 sugar cube (or 1-2 bsp. of simple syrup)
1-3 dash Angostura bitter
1 tsp. water
50 ml bourbon (or rye whiskey)
Place sugar cube on the bottom of an old-fashioned glass (or pour simple syrup). Soak the sugar cobe with bitters and carefully muddle it. Add some water and stir. Than add some whiskey and stir. Than add two (only two!) large (very, very large!) cubes of ice. Fill the glass with more whiskey and stir. Garnish with a lemon peel.

You may add some dash curacao or Cointreau in your Old-Fashioned Cocktail (optional).

Actually the Old-Fashioned Cocktail is gobsmacked palate-paralysing drink. Absolutely idiosyncratical cocktail. And I love it!

Next great thing about Old-Fashioned Cocktail is the question. To muddle or not to muddle? :) Some barman (DeGroff for example) prefer to muddle some fruits (as a common – piece of orange and maraschino cherry) for yours Old-Fashioned. Some purists deny.

Old-Fashioned (Muddled)

1 sugar cube (or 1 tsp. simple syrup)
1-3 dash Angostura bitter
1 piece of orange
1 maraschino cherry
1 tsp. of water
50 ml bourbon
In the bottom of an old-fashioned glass carefully muddle the sugar cube, bitter, orange slice and cherry with splash of water. Remove the fruit husks. Add the ice and whiskey, stir. Garnish with orange slice and red maraschino cherry.

Yoг may also muddle some pineapple cubes.

The muddled Old-Fashioned is another Old-Fashioned Cocktail. It has interesting and delicious fruit and whiskey taste. It has great look. But it has not the charisma :) or power… But it is delicious, whatever!

Collins

Second classic summer drink with same inhredients (alcohol, lemon juice, sugar and soda) at my blog is a Collins. Collins is a versatile cocktail. In the Collins you may use any alcohol that you prefer.

On of the first mention about Collins drink we can find at Bartender’s Guide by Jerry “Professor” Thomas (1876).

Collinses and Fizzes has some distinctions. Fizzes must be hard shaken but Collins may be shaken and no so hard. Fizzes are served in special delmonico glass without garnish but Collinses are served in collins (what else?) and garnish with red maraschino cherry and piece of orange. Actualy both cocktails are served in collinses or highballs at present time. The difference depicted on this foto:

Delmonico glass, collins, highball (Бокал дельмонико, коллинз, хайбол)

First glass close on delmonico. The collins glass is cylindrical in shape and narrower than a highball glass. The highball glass is shorter and wider than a collins glass.

But return to our drink. First Collins I prepare in classic version with London dry gin – the Tom Collins.

The Tom Collins drink (Коктейль Том Коллинз)

Tom Collins

45 ml gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
up to 90 ml soda water
Shake (except soda) with ice. Strain in to tallest collins as you have and add some large ice-cubes. Top with soda. Garnish with red maraschino cherry and orange slice.

You may use another proportion for yours Collins. You may use sugar powder or castor sugar instead simple syrup. You may build your collins, but I recommend shake.

The Tom Collins is a brilliant cocktail. Simple but elegant cocktail has smooth and compose taste of gin botanicals with sournes of lemon. Very refreshing and very delicious.

I prepare the John Collins with bourbon also. I use Jim Beam Black for this cocktail.

The John Collins drink (Коктейль Джон Коллинз)

John Collins

45 ml bourbon
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
up to 90 ml soda water
Shake (except soda) with ice. Strain in to tallest collins as you have and add some large ice-cubes. Top with soda. Garnish with red maraschino cherry and orange slice.

The John Collins is great drink too. It has smooth and refreshing taste with pleasant palate of whiskey.

Bourbonella

It is Friday night… This cocktail is for Friday night.

bourbonella.jpg

Bourbonella

45 ml bourbon whisky
20 ml dry vermouth
20 ml orange curacao
1 small dash of grenadine
Stir. Cocktail glass.

Not so bad, guys! Let`s imbibe!!!