Sort of an Old Fashioned

[cowdery]

It needs a better name, but that's basically what this is, an Old Fashioned just not made in the traditional way.

My main objection to most whiskey cocktails is that the whiskey disappears. I don't want that to happen. So here's what I do.

Into an old-fashioned glass (a large on-the-rocks glass), I give the Angostura bottle a Gary Reagan shake (meaning 8 or 9 shakes). Then I add a small pour of Cointreau -- enough to just cover the bottom of the glass, and the same amount of simple syrup. To that I add about three fingers of Rittenhouse Rye BIB. Then I stir it with one or two ice cubes, and maybe add another one to just about fill the glass. Spicy and fruity with whiskey in every bite. That's it, no fruit salad garnish. I like it.

Edited October 22, 2013 by cowdery

[Guest]

I will try this, never thought of using cointreau but it makes sense, my current go to recipe uses a simmilar amount of agnostura orange bitters which is mighty addictive stuff

[hn4bourbon]

It needs a better name, but that's basically what this is, an Old Fashioned just not made in the traditional way.

My main objection to most whiskey cocktails is that the whiskey disappears. I don't want that to happen. So here's what I do.

Into an old-fashioned glass (a large on-the-rocks glass), I give the Angostura bottle a Gary Reagan shake (meaning 8 or 9 shakes). Then I add a small pour of Cointreau -- enough to just cover the bottom of the glass, and the same amount of simple syrup. To that I add about three fingers of Rittenhouse Rye BIB. Then I stir it with one or two ice cubes, and maybe add another one to just about fill the glass. Spicy and fruity with whiskey in every bite. That's it, no fruit salad garnish. I like it.

That sounds yummy. I'll have to try it this weekend. Thanks for sharing!

[higgins]

I just tried this tonight, and the result was fantastic. Most of these that I order at bars are way too sweet and have too much ice--two things that I dislike in my cocktails. So I combined the ingredients, but stirred and strained into a chilled glass. Made for a delicious and potent cocktail. Good thing, because I bought a bottle of Cointreau just for this!

[Gillman]

Sort of a rock and rye, too, or on the margin of both.

Gary

[tanstaafl2]

Sort of a rock and rye, too, or on the margin of both.

Gary

Another way to get a Rock and Rye of sorts is to create a spiced simple syrup. Takes a bit of time but can be rewarding. But hard to make in small quantities so good to have friends available to help you go through it in a timely manner! One I have used and enjoyed that was provided by a poster on eGullet:

Dessert Spiced Syrup

3 cups water

6 cinnamon sticks, broken up

18 whole cloves

4 star anise

12 allspice berries

12 black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon red chile flakes

3 cups sugar

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and add spices. Allow to boil for three minutes. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Lower heat and allow syrup to simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain out spices before using and funnel into clean glass bottles for storage. Refrigerate for up to one month.

Could probably cut this in half to start with if you don't want as much. One can also always experiment with your preferred spice recipe. If the pepper sounds like it could be too much a bit of fresh ginger can add a different flavor profile.

[clingman71]

My autumn '13 take on the Old Fashioned

5-6 dashes Angostura bitters

1 teaspoon Maple Syrup

2 luxardo cherries w/ a drop or two of the juice

heavy handed pour of either WTR101 or OGD114

stir over ice

my wife like an orange slice, I go without

[smokinjoe]

It needs a better name, but that's basically what this is, an Old Fashioned just not made in the traditional way.

My main objection to most whiskey cocktails is that the whiskey disappears. I don't want that to happen. So here's what I do.

Into an old-fashioned glass (a large on-the-rocks glass), I give the Angostura bottle a Gary Reagan shake (meaning 8 or 9 shakes). Then I add a small pour of Cointreau -- enough to just cover the bottom of the glass, and the same amount of simple syrup. To that I add about three fingers of Rittenhouse Rye BIB. Then I stir it with one or two ice cubes, and maybe add another one to just about fill the glass. Spicy and fruity with whiskey in every bite. That's it, no fruit salad garnish. I like it.

Just whipped one up. Fantastic! I used Ri1, which melded very well. I'll go with a bit more bite on the rye with the WTR101 on my next one, just to see how it goes. But, I like!

Trying to work on a name for it....

[ratcheer]

I do something very similar to Chuck's idea, but with Wild Turkey Honey instead of Cointreau. It makes a damned tasty Old Fashioned Cocktail.

Tim

[rndenks]

It needs a better name, but that's basically what this is, an Old Fashioned just not made in the traditional way.

My main objection to most whiskey cocktails is that the whiskey disappears. I don't want that to happen. So here's what I do.

Into an old-fashioned glass (a large on-the-rocks glass), I give the Angostura bottle a Gary Reagan shake (meaning 8 or 9 shakes). Then I add a small pour of Cointreau -- enough to just cover the bottom of the glass, and the same amount of simple syrup. To that I add about three fingers of Rittenhouse Rye BIB. Then I stir it with one or two ice cubes, and maybe add another one to just about fill the glass. Spicy and fruity with whiskey in every bite. That's it, no fruit salad garnish. I like it.

Tried this on Friday and really enjoyed this cocktail. I substituted the Cointreau with it's Italian cousin Gran Gala, but it was good non-the-less. I will be having this again soon. Thank you for sharing.

[tanstaafl2]

Tried this on Friday and really enjoyed this cocktail. I substituted the Cointreau with it's Italian cousin Gran Gala, but it was good non-the-less. I will be having this again soon. Thank you for sharing.

Useful to be aware that Gran Gala, like Grand Marnier, is a brandy based orange liquer whereas Cointreau is a triple sec made with a neutral grain spirit and thus tends to be drier (less sweet) than the brandy based curacao style. Just to mess things up a bit more Cointreau now makes a brandy based curacao style orange liqueur called Cointreau Noir. Combier does the same thing with a triple sec and also a brandy based version called Royal Combier.

May want to use less simple syrup when using curacao or other brandy based orange liqueurs. Or just know it may be a touch sweeter!

My favorite currently are the Ferrand Dry Curacao and Solerno Blood Orange liqueur which tastes very much like blood oranges to me. Both are a curacao style with a brandy base but are perhaps a bit less sweet than Gran Gala.

I must confess I have a bit of an orange liqueur "fetish" and I tend to have at least 6-8 different kinds at any one time.

[smokinjoe]

Useful to be aware that Gran Gala, like Grand Marnier, is a brandy based orange liquer whereas Cointreau is a triple sec made with a neutral grain spirit and thus tends to be drier (less sweet) than the brandy based curacao style. Just to mess things up a bit more Cointreau now makes a brandy based curacao style orange liqueur called Cointreau Noir. Combier does the same thing with a triple sec and also a brandy based version called Royal Combier.

May want to use less simple syrup when using curacao or other brandy based orange liqueurs. Or just know it may be a touch sweeter!

My favorite currently are the Ferrand Dry Curacao and Solerno Blood Orange liqueur which tastes very much like blood oranges to me. Both are a curacao style with a brandy base but are perhaps a bit less sweet than Gran Gala.

I must confess I have a bit of an orange liqueur "fetish" and I tend to have at least 6-8 different kinds at any one time.

Sometimes, my lack of attention to detail, and general airheaddedness astounds even me...I indeed did use Grand Marnier...WhoooooopsieDaisy!!!! :crazy:

I used the CEHT Rye in a couple I made yesterday, and they exceeded even my first couple...:yum:

BTW, think this is barrelageable?

[rndenks]

Interesting. Thanks for the lesson in orange liqueurs, and now I guess this gives me an "excuse" to try mixing one up with Cointreau!!!

[tanstaafl2]

Sometimes, my lack of attention to detail, and general airheaddedness astounds even me...I indeed did use Grand Marnier...WhoooooopsieDaisy!!!! :crazy:

I used the CEHT Rye in a couple I made yesterday, and they exceeded even my first couple...:yum:

BTW, think this is barrelageable?

Absolutely. I have had several variations on an Old Fashioned that were barrel aged. I think some people may shy away from barrel aging something with simple syrup in it (Manhattan's, Negroni's and the like seem to be the most popular barrel aged cocktails although I recently had a barrel aged El Presidente that was rum based) but if the proof is adequate it should be fine. May need to be agitated a bit if the simple tries to settle out I suppose.

[TheNovaMan]

Sometimes, my lack of attention to detail, and general airheaddedness astounds even me...I indeed did use Grand Marnier...WhoooooopsieDaisy!!!! :crazy:

That's interesting because when you mentioned substituting Gran Gala for Cointreau, I thought "Hmm, I wonder how Grand Marnier would taste in this drink?"

I think I may have to try a couple of these tonight... you know, for science.

[smokinjoe]

An Old Crotchety Fashioned in the glass at the moment. I am absolutely killing these things. I'm double fisting the Regan shakes on the Angostura, BTW. Ritt BIB in this one, but the Taylor Rye was a screamer. Another bottle in the bunker that I'm going to have to pull out, but there's a goat and 14 cases of Bourbon Supreme between me and it...

[TheNovaMan]

I had one of these the other night, subbing Grand Marnier for Cointreau, and I thought it was a little heavy on the bitters. Perhaps my shakes of bitters are too vigorous? I guess the first clue was when the bottom of my glass was well covered with bitters and I just had to guesstimate how much Grand Marnier to add on top of it...

[smokinjoe]

I had one of these the other night, subbing Grand Marnier for Cointreau, and I thought it was a little heavy on the bitters. Perhaps my shakes of bitters are too vigorous? I guess the first clue was when the bottom of my glass was well covered with bitters and I just had to guesstimate how much Grand Marnier to add on top of it...

Looks like you got more 'sperimentin' to do, Pete. Keep at 'er. Rome wasn't built in a day!

[Eskwar]

I had one of these the other night, subbing Grand Marnier for Cointreau, and I thought it was a little heavy on the bitters. Perhaps my shakes of bitters are too vigorous? I guess the first clue was when the bottom of my glass was well covered with bitters and I just had to guesstimate how much Grand Marnier to add on top of it...

Same here. My not-shallow pool of bitters left me wondering whether CC's rec of 8 or 9 shakes was tongue-in-cheek, or my angostura bottle was broken, or the like. It was fun to experiment in the lab, however.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheNovaMan]

I'm currently drinking one made with five drops of bitters, a bottom-of-glass-covering pour of Grand Marnier, and about two fingers of Evan Williams. It's pretty good, but not quite spot on yet IMHO.

[BFerguson]

My favorite currently are the Ferrand Dry Curacao and Solerno Blood Orange liqueur which tastes very much like blood oranges to me. Both are a curacao style with a brandy base but are perhaps a bit less sweet than Gran Gala.

I must confess I have a bit of an orange liqueur "fetish" and I tend to have at least 6-8 different kinds at any one time.

[higgins]

I prefer more precision when making my cocktails, so I've been using this formula for my Old Crotchety Fashioned:

2.5 oz rye/bourbon (usually Ritt BIB/Bulleit)

1/4 oz Cointreau

1/4 oz Simple syrup

5-6 shakes of Angostura bitters

[TunnelTiger]

Having one right now with GD12 replacing the RITT since it was open, mighty tasty. The next one will be with the RITT for comparison.

[RVTsteve]

Sounds good to me. I've been doing a version of this for a while using Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao. Good stuff.

[Ejmharris]

I made a couple of these tonight. First with WTR101 and then with the TPS Groundbreaker (Willett 4 yr rye). The WTR was good the groundbreaker was fantastic. Thanks for the recommendation.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk