Cocktail of the Week: Old-Fashioned

Two nights ago, Dr. D had a different take on a classic cocktail (see previous post) - he had a "Rum" Old-Fashioned.  I'm not a rum fan, per se, but it was sublime.  And it made me realize that I had been remiss in not spotlighting this classic drink.

The International Bartenders Association (that's an annual conference/meeting to look forward to, right?) established the following ingredients for a traditional Old-Fashioned:

4.5 cl Bourbon or Rye whiskey

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 sugar cube

A few dashes of plain water

Place the sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon loose sugar) in an (what else?) Old-Fashioned glass. Wet it down with 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and a short splash of water. Crush the sugar with a wooden muddler or heavy spoon.  Rotate the glass so that the sugar grains and bitters give it a lining. Add a large ice cube. (This is important, as large ice cubes keep your drinks colder longer, and melt slower, resulting in less dilution.  You can buy special trays at Williams-Sonoma) Pour in the rye (or bourbon). Serve with a stirring rod.

You can't beat this classic version to make you feel like Don Draper from Mad Men.

Bottoms up!