Old Fashioned

Ah, my dearest palette of the refined, envision, if you will, a libation so imbued with history, so rich in tradition, it whispers tales of yore with each sip. The Old Fashioned, a testament to timeless elegance, a beacon of sophistication in a world of fleeting trends.

Ingredients

• 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon, the spirit of Americana, distilled from the very essence of corn and aged in charred oak, as complex as a well-spun yarn.
• 1 sugar cube (or 1 tsp/5 ml sugar), the sweet crystalline embodiment of life’s fleeting pleasures.
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, the spice of life, a reminder of the zests and zings that pepper our existence.
• A splash of water, the source of all life, to dissolve and diffuse.
• Ice, the cornerstone of civilization, preserving the integrity of our concoction.
• Orange peel and a cherry, garnishes that serve as the flourish on the final act, the bow tie on the evening wear.

Directions

1. In a glass that has witnessed the ebb and flow of many an epoch, place the sugar cube and saturate it with the bitters and a splash of water, a ritual as ancient as time.
2. Muddle these together, not with the brute force of a barbarian, but with the gentle persuasion of a poet wooing his muse.
3. Add the bourbon, a liquid ode to heritage and craftsmanship, over ice, the bedrock upon which this classic is built.
4. Stir with the deliberation of a maestro conducting a symphony, until the potion is chilled and the flavors married, a union as sacred as any.
5. Garnish with the orange peel, twisted to release its oils, and the cherry, a nod to the sweetness at life’s core.

Tips

• The bourbon choice is a declaration of your narrative; opt for one that tells a story, your story.
• The muddling of sugar and bitters is a dance, a prelude to the harmony of flavors to come.
• The garnish is not mere decoration; it is the final character in our play, essential to the plot.

Calories & Alcohol

In closing, my darlings, the Old Fashioned is not just a cocktail; it is a journey through time, a sip of history, a reminder of where we come from and the simplicity at the essence of sophistication.

As the curtains gently fall on our genteel gathering, let it be known that this elixir of the ancients carries approximately 144 calories, with an alcohol content that elegantly promenades around 2 standard drinks (3 AU). A trifling sum for a rendezvous with history.