Building on the Old-Fashioned—The Improved Whiskey Cocktail
As I noted in my previous entry, my 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas’s Bartenders Guide lists the original ”Whiskey Cocktail”—that’s the one we now think of as the “Old-Fashioned.” That same publication provides evidence that the hard-line definition of the “cocktail” was fraying at the edges. Read more 
The Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
The term “Old-Fashioned” has come to imply the Whiskey Old-Fashioned, and that’s the drink I’ll focus on for this piece. It is an example of the original “cocktail,” one of the oldest and most successful of American mixed drinks. The Whiskey Cocktail’s survival through more than two centuries, even while its category evolved far beyond its simple plan, is due to more than its historic heritage: its strength lies in the plainness of its character and the straightforwardness of its flavor and build. Read more
La Louisiane Cocktail
If it is true, as Mark Twain opined, that “obscurity and a competence … is the life that is best worth living,” then La Louisiane Cocktail has lived a worthwhile life indeed. A first-rate cocktail that seems to fall off the face of the earth. How does that happen? Read more
Arnaud’s Special Cocktail
Scotch whisky has a very small repertoire when it comes to mixing cocktails; only a handful have achieved fame, and even fewer popularity—Blood and Sand, Rob Roy, Rusty Nail, perhaps the Mamie Taylor. There’s a reason for this, of course—malt, peat, and smoke are assertive flavors, and you have to favor them just to get into the game; even if you like Scotch, there is no guarantee that mixing it with Other Stuff will provide an acceptable result. Read more
Cranberry and Bourbon: Reinventing the Bardstown Sling
It’s nearly Thanksgiving in the United States, and my wife commissioned me to invent a harvest-themed cocktail for our traditional family dinner. To guide my thoughts, she suggested a palette of autumn flavors that would complement her dinner: bourbon, cranberry, orange and maple. (It’s going to be a very good dinner…) Read more
Mixing with Fernet-Branca—the Toronto Cocktail
The Toronto Cocktail is another delightful way to exploit your bottle of Fernet-Branca, this time with whiskey. Read more
Mixing with Fernet Branca—the Hanky Panky Cocktail
I have no idea where I first came across the Hanky Panky, nor why I thought it would be a good idea to try a drink with such an off-putting, cutesy name (it turns out there’s a Prohibition-era story there), and made with Fernet-Branca, an ingredient with what Paul Clarke described in a recent Imbibe article as a “caustic reputation.” Read more
Saratoga Cocktail
When one of my friends asked for a Saratoga Cocktail recently, I was skeptical. I had tried this drink before, and I was not impressed. It seemed unbalanced, or unfinished—the flavors just didn’t seem to blend well. This time around, it was an astonishingly delicious and well-balanced drink. I’ll grant that my tastes have evolved since then, but I think the real reason the Saratoga tasted better this time has everything to do with a different mix of ingredients, particularly the vermouth. Read more
