by Ulysses Vidal
Introduction
Opa!
I remember the infamous scene from Mad Men, when an impatient Don Draper jumps over the bar and makes himself an Old-Fashioned. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my nearly 20 years of tending bar, it’s that certain drinks will elicit a strong response from their respective imbibers. The martini aficionado will occasionally fret that no one knows how to make their drink properly. The Manhattan sipper is no stranger to disappointment. As for the Old-Fashioned, you don’t have to be Don Draper to want to jump over the bar and make the darn thing yourself. Let’s face it: the best cocktail is the one you prefer to toss back.
In this article we are going to talk about the history of the Old-Fashioned, some current trends, and then I will share a recipe with you featuring Suntory Toki Whisky and KLEOS Mastiha Spirit.
How We Got Here
There is no other drink whose preparation has provoked so much controversy and confusion as the Old-Fashioned. The debate goes back over a century. The Old-Fashioned had its beginnings as the Whiskey Cocktail, first printed in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 The Bon-vivant’s Companion. As is always the case with a recipe, modifications became rampant. The most notable was the addition of a slice of orange, cherry, and splash of soda. George J. Kappeler, along with other purists at the time, wasn’t happy with these changes. Kappeler took it upon himself to publish the original Thomas formula as an “Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail” in his 1895 bar manual, Modern American Drinks, in order to reassure everyone that the addition of fruits and soda were not part of the recipe canon.
Kappeler’s efforts proved futile. By the 1930s, the Old-Fashioned was widely seen as a drink containing whiskey, sugar, bitters, cherry, orange, and a splash of soda. The original Whiskey Cocktail was quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Ruffling Feathers
In the early 2000s, with the resurgence of cocktails and mixology, Jerry Thomas’ original recipe would slowly make its way back into the public consciousness. Either way, there’s nothing wrong with having an Old-Fashioned with muddled cherry and orange. All that matters is that it tastes great.
To our benefit, there’s no shortage of Old-Fashioned offshoots for us to choose from. Head over to any hotel bar in Milwaukee, ask for a Wisconsin Old-Fashioned, and you’ll be treated to a variation made with brandy instead of whiskey, and your choice of “sweet, sour, or press.” If you’re in the mood for an agave-based interpretation, there’s the Oaxaca Old-Fashioned, featuring mezcal, tequila, and a flamed orange peel.
You can make an Old-Fashioned with any spirit, or combination of spirits/liqueurs even it does ruffle a few feathers. In the tradition of putting a new twist on the old, KLEOS Mastiha Spirit can be used to make an Old-Fashioned too!
Meet Maria Callas
This twist on an Old-Fashioned is an ode to Maria Callas’ farewell performance in Sapporo, Japan, in 1976. Callas was an American-born, Greek opera singer. Her voice was world-renowned for its ability to transcend various styles, kind of like how KLEOS can transcend various cocktails!
An Old-Fashioned is the type of cocktail where you really are just letting the main spirit(s) have the spotlight, with some assistance from the bitters and sugar. Now, let’s give the Maria Callas center-stage:
Maria Callas
Ingredients
- 1 part KLEOS Mastiha Spirit
- 2 parts Toki Japanese Whiskey
- 1/4 part Simple Syrup
- 3 dashes Spanish Bitters (or try Lavender Bitters)
Preparation
- Stir all ingredients well, over ice for dilution.
- Serve over 1 large ice cube in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with an expressed lemon peel (use orange peel if using lavender bitters.)
For Maria Callas, being the top soprano of her time would have meant mastery of the vocal chords. With such mastery comes subtlety and nuance. That’s what this Old-Fashioned is all about, and it all comes with just 185 calories and 4 grams of sugar!
Conclusion
In this article, we explored the history of the Old-Fashioned, cleared up some confusion over what exactly it is, and then went over some modern interpretations. We explored how you can use KLEOS Mastiha Spirit in an Old-Fashioned and also learned about Maria Callas and her contributions to pop-culture and modern, Greek identity. With all this mind, I’ll leave you to explore your own Old-Fashioneds using KLEOS! Until next time!
