Water Wine Spirit

Water to dilute the elixir of spirits

Wine to enhance the melancholy of the heart

Whiskey to make the journey worth while

Well, it is that time of year again when I am enticed by cooler temperatures to explore the smoky, heavy, and smooth Whiskey cocktails that are perfect to warm up with, preferably by a quiet fire, with a good friend, and tantalizing conversation.  It all starts with my favorite, the Old Fashioned (OF). It has only been a couple of years that I have been indulging in good Whiskey, and honestly, I don’t know why it took me so long.  When I tasted my first OF, I knew that Don Draper was on to something… and he was right.  It is the best of the best – whether in it’s early organic form – “sweetened and seasoned” with a lump of sugar, bit of ice, bitters and some good Bourbon Whiskey, gently stirred – or one of today’s variations with brown sugar, slice of orange, a titch of cinnamon (yes, my little secret), a bit of water and 2 oz of Rye or Bourbon Whiskey and shaken like a wildcat, then garnished with an orange rind or cherry.  (However, I am still NOT a fan of a cherry in an OF, or using any sort of carbonation to aid dissolution.) I usually prefer my OF with Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, but tonight I experimented with a special Rye I recently received as a gift from a friend – A Midwinter Nights Dram.

Sandy’s Old Fashioned:

2 oz of Midwinter Nights Dram Rye Whiskey
1 tsp of dark brown sugar
1 tsp of water
3 shakes of Angostura Bitters
1 dash of cinnamon
few cubes of ice
1 slice of orange with rind, muddled
Shaken and poured into a single Whiskey glass over large ice ball

While you are watching the new “Charlie Brown Christmas” why not take a look at the other 14 “Best” Whiskey cocktails for the season and mix your favorite?  Read the recipe well so you don’t miss anything, and above all… enjoy, experiment – there are literally hundreds of variations of the classic cocktail.  It sure beats the heck out of making more purchases online on this cold Cyber Monday.  Cheers!
XOXO
Sandy