by Tierney O'Hara

Created on: July 08, 2009   Last Updated: May 11, 2011

Old fashioned: a recipe and a memory

Call me old fashioned, but when it comes to cocktails, I don't think any of the new cocktail creations hold a candle to the tried and true Old Fashioned. When made right it's unbeatable, but that's the problem. There are as many ways to make an Old Fashioned as there are Old Fashioned drinkers.

Some people say: There's only one way to make a true Old Fashioned! But I say bah to that. I've had them many different ways - all good - but my favorite recipe is the one my mother used.

I can see her assembling the fruits, liquor, sugar,seltzer and Angostura bitters. Then she'd put ice in a bag and pound it with her tack hammer until all that was left were shards of ice and ice granules suitable for a Sno-cone.

Next came the two round, stout glasses, always clear so you could see inside to the rusty-ruby color her drink would soon become.

Mom was fussy about this cocktail. She'd put about a level tablespoon of sugar in the bottom of each glass, but it had to be superfine or castor sugar so that it would dissolve easily and completely into the drink.

Then Mom would open the exotic smelling Angostura bitters, an aromatic combination of alcohol, gentian root, water and vegetable flavoring extracts made in Trinidad and Tobago. She'd sprinkle the bitters on top of the sugar until each grain of sugar had turned red but not so much that the bitters pooled in the bottom of the glass.

A thick slice of orange, a wedge of lemon and one or two maraschino cherries would go into the glass and she'd take the end of her wooden spoon and mash the fruit with the sugar mixture until she was satisfied with the texture. This took about a minute or two.

Initially she made these drinks with bourbon, but I could never acquire the taste for bourbon and loved scotch, so one day she made them with scotch and that's when I knew I'd found my drink for the ages.

So it was scotch, two shots worth, that she put into the fruit/sugar mixture and stirred and stirred. Then slowly she added the ice shards and ice granules into the glass leaving about two inches on the top for the club soda or seltzer; just enough spritzy bubbles to enhance the flavors but not enough seltzer to dilute the drink

One last stir, and a toothpick with an orange slice and a cherry for garnish, and we would raise our glasses and toast each other.

Before she'd take her first sip she'd look at me and say: I wish I could make these in a bucket.

Now years after her death I say the same thing to my daughters when we raise our glasses and wish each other health and happiness over a lovingly made, delicious, exotic, Old Fashioned.

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