How to Make a Real Old-Fashioned

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2009 5:16 PM CDT
How to Make a Real Old-Fashioned
The proper Old-Fashioned is a must-know, says Esquire.   (©wickenden)

Esquire adds to its everything-a-man-must-know lessons with a primer on the Old-Fashioned, which is nothing less than the “Fender Strat of cocktails” because it “embodies the classic American combination of offhand style, swagger, and micrometer engineering,” writes David Wondrich. At its heart is good old American whiskey—at least 4 years old and 100 proof but “not too expensive.”

And while a slice of lemon or orange is OK, please avoid other mashed up fruit, especially maraschino cherries. You’ll need a single—as opposed to a double—Old-Fashioned glass, so the “healthy 2 ounces of booze doesn’t look like half a drink.” Use water, not club soda, and don't skip the sugar at the start. “It’s less to make the drink sweet than to give back what the melting ice is taking away.” For the recipe, click on the link below.

(More alcohol stories.)

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