Let Those “I Don’t Care” Days Start With a Fantasy for Free
There are two key signs that confirm the fact that I am officially, unambiguously and, unfortunately, an adult. It’s not my age (which, depending on the day and who you ask, is somewhere between 27 and 50), and it’s not the horizontal wrinkles deepening on my forehead from countless times people, life, etc. caused bewilderment “What the hell are you kidding?” expression on my face. I’m not even a landlord! I have never had more than $20 in a savings account! I, quite young, do not yet know what I am doing with my life. So how did something that seemed so relative become so ruthlessly, undeniably, factual?
All my favorite drinks have turned into old-fashioned cocktails, and now that Lee Hazlewood sings “Let the days begin where I don’t care, I’m tired of holding my stomach,” I really feel it, you know? I think all it takes is a drink and a song to make it real.
Old fashioned drinks are great. After life has formed a callus of impenetrable frustration around your heart and soul, sometimes you just want to feel something, anything, and the good old fashion is like putting a match to your tongue and massaging your shoulders at the same time. . But before I get too far into the wood-paneled study area of ”Dad’s Had a Long Day” territory, let me remind you (mostly to myself) that cocktails are more than an instant, loose bandage applied day in and day out. day. Cocktails give us a little ceremony, a ritual meant to magnify and elevate. And while old-fashioned drinks are certainly among the more serious and hard drinks, there is still a lot to play with and discover in this glorious trinity of bitters, sugar and booze.
Fancy Free is a great example of what can be achieved with a few modifications to a classic template. A fantastic old-fashioned take to get us out of summer replaces the sugar cube with Maraschino liqueur, pairs Angostura with a dash of orange bitters, and ups the bourbon by a quarter ounce. The end result is something slightly silkier and slightly brighter than your classic old-fashioned one, yet tastes like something from a different era, pre-tech color, conceivable only in sepia tones – you might want to open an old book. after a couple of sips.
I dilute my maraschino liqueur with simple syrup, about 3:1 liqueur to syrup. You can mix in just under 1/2 oz of Maraschino and add a barspoon of simple syrup on top. Like salt, a bit of simple syrup can enhance the flavor of a liqueur and help achieve more balance and harmony in a cocktail. The end result is not necessarily sweeter, just smoother.
Fancy Free
- 1 dash of orange bitter*
- 2-3 dashes of Angostura
- 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
- 2 1/4 oz bourbon
- Orange twist for garnish
Starting with bitters, pour all ingredients into a double rocks glass, add ice and stir 5-6 times. Squeeze the orange peel oil onto the cocktail and garnish.
*Unlike the heavy, drenched hand I encourage when it comes to using Angostura, you really only need one conservative drop of orange bitter to get the job done.