Few cocktails are as easy to make, or as easy to screw up, as the Old Fashioned. The recipe, at its most basic, consists of whiskey, sugar, and bitters, garnish optional. But within those simple confines lie a nearly infinite array of possibilities. Bourbon or rye? How much sugar? What type of bitters, and how much? Yes or no to garnish? If yes, orange slice, cocktail cherry, or both? Some versions are so minimalist that they’re indistinguishable from straight whiskey, while others contain enough sugar and fruit to qualify as punch. Which recipe is the right one?

I think a better question is “which recipe is the right one for me?”. And that’s largely a matter of taste.

The key to a good Old Fashioned is balance: not too sweet or too dry, with all of the flavors being detectable and none dominated by the others. And the only way to achieve that balance is by experimenting. Make the cocktail, taste it, and adjust the ingredients accordingly. Like any strong cocktail, start with a high-quality liquor. Rye is usually not as sweet as bourbon, so it may need a bit more sugar. That bourbon sweetness is complemented by the clove and cinnamon flavors in Angostura bitters, but the natural spiciness of rye might work better with something different. Cocktail cherries will mellow the bite of hot whiskeys, while orange peel will accentuate the bright notes. Even the type of sugar makes a difference: Demerara adds a caramel richness that white sugar lacks. Taste, adjust, and repeat as needed.

A gathering of friends a few weeks ago provided the perfect opportunity to make Old Fashioneds. The group, whose slogan is ‘Carpe Norte!’ (for reasons that I’ve forgotten), began 24 years ago with an epic backpacking adventure in the Grand Canyon, complete with blizzard. We’ve continued to congregate every year or so since, often during Thanksgiving week.

Moab, Utah was the site of our most recent meeting, home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, a spectacular destination for hiking and mountain-biking. Homemade bitters in hand, I flew into Colorado, stocked up on whiskey near the airport (Utah liquor stores are not known for their selection), and drove the rental car down to Moab. The final ingredient was provided by my compadre Rich, who, inspired by a previous post, had made his own cocktail cherries. We stayed up late, talking and laughing and drinking Old Fashioneds until the booze ran out. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

h.

Scenes of the desert landscape in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

Old Fashioned, Carpe Norte 2017 version

• 2 oz. Templeton Rye
• 1 tsp. Demerara sugar
• 1 large orange peel (roughly the length and width of two fingers)
• 2 dashes each homemade fig bitters and pecan bitters (enough to soak the sugar)
• a few drops of water
• one homemade cocktail cherry, to garnish
• cocktail shaker, muddler, bar spoon, strainer, ice, rocks glass

Steps

• combine the sugar, orange peel, bitters, and water in the shaker and muddle
• add ice and rye, then stir until well chilled and the sugar is completely dissolved
• strain into rocks glass over ice, and garnish with the cherry