Brandy Old-fashioned
From a large list of cocktails, it is believed that the Brandy Old Fashioned was probably the first drink to be traditionally called a cocktail. The history of this blend shows that it was created as a variation to the simple classic bourbon cocktail. The Brandy Old Fashioned is one of the favorite cocktails in the Wisconsin state.
The recipe of the cocktail is believed to be created by a bartender at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The ingredients required to make a simple Brandy Old Fashioned cocktail comprises of 3 oz brandy, 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 tablespoon sugar, dash of water, and a lemon peel for garnishing. Lay the sugar at the bottom of an old fashioned glass.
Pour the water and the angostura bitters into the glass. Mix the ingredients well so as to dissolve the sugar properly at the bottom. If required, crush the sugar in the glass and then add the ice cubes in it. Lastly add the brandy to the mixture and stir well. Garnish the cocktail using a lemon peel before serving.
There are certain minor modifications that are generally made by many bartenders around the world in the recipe of this cocktail. In some places, the brandy is substituted by any other variety of whiskey based on the consumer’s choice. Majority people prefer having the rye whiskey due to its complexity. Also sometimes the water in the cocktail is replaced with soda water which is generally avoided by many people.
In few places the bartenders sometimes add fruits typically an orange slice mixed with sugar before adding the whiskey or the brandy. This modification was made to cover the taste of poor alcohols and also as sometimes the angostura bitters is substituted by the citrus fruit.
To garnish the cocktail, sometimes the maraschino cherry and the orange are fastened together using a toothpick. The maraschino cherry can also be substituted by the orange zest. The maraschino cherry is sugar syrup coated cherry which is dyed red using artificial colors and flavored with almond.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 at 7:11 am and is filed under Brandy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.