Welcome to Wonkette Happy Hour, With This Week's Cocktail, Maple Rye Old Fashioned!

Sometimes, you need to keep it simple.

Super complex in taste. Super easy to make. Life is good sometimes.

Greetings, Wonketeers! I’m Hooper, your bartender. It’s been a hella week. We got back from vacation and immediately dropped our daughter off at college for her first year. On the political front … well, it’s too early to say that the chickens are coming home to roost, but the chickens have taken notice of the roost and seem to be sauntering vaguely across the road. It is probably safe to take one deep breath now. Let’s have a nice, complex-tasting but easy to make drink to settle our collective nerves. Time for a Maple Rye Old Fashioned. Here’s the recipe. 

Maple Rye Old Fashioned

3-4 oz Basil Hayden Dark Rye Whiskey

1 dropper Old Forester Bohemian Bitters

½ oz maple syrup

Large orange twist

Add all ingredients to a double old fashioned glass and stir until combined. Add a large ice cube and garnish with the orange twist. 

This is a very modern take on the Old Fashioned, where the sugar and bitters serve as seasoning to the whiskey. There’s an older version of the Old Fashioned that some of you might remember — the sort of thing Don Draper drank in Mad Men. For reference, here’s what that “Older Old Fashioned” looks like:

Older Old Fashioned

3-4 oz Canadian Club Whiskey

1 T white sugar

1 orange slice

1 maraschino cherry

3-4 dashes Angostura bitters

Muddle the sugar, bitters, orange, and cherry in the bottom of a double old fashioned glass. Add whiskey and ice. Stir gently and serve.

Aside from the whiskey choice (Canadian whiskey was top notch stuff back in the ‘50s), there are other issues I have with the old school approach. The sugar isn’t really going to dissolve in the orange juice and bitters; inevitably, you’re going to have sugar sludge at the bottom of the glass. Muddling the pith of the orange slice will add bitter notes. And maraschino cherries are bright red flavorless gumdrops; they add no flavor to your drink. Why bother?

A good Old Fashioned, in my opinion, adds grace notes to the whiskey while keeping the spirit front and center. Adding chocolate, cherry, orange, and maple flavors to a glass of whiskey sounds amazing. But at the end of the day, it still must remain a glass of whiskey. The supporting cast doesn’t need to take center stage. The Older Old Fashioned doesn’t do as precise a job of this as the more modern take. I think a lot of this comes from the fact that American whiskey, especially bourbon, has become exceptionally good. Canadian Club deserved to be hidden behind bitter orange juice and a meaningless cherry. Today’s distillers are making products that deserve to be put on a pedestal. The good stuff deserves some thought and balance, instead of a one-size-fits-all formula. 

Let’s talk ingredients:

The cocktail vanished mysteriously shortly after this photo was taken.

Basil Hayden Dark Rye Whiskey: I confess — I don’t like bourbon. It’s too thick and cloying for my palate. I much prefer rye whiskey, which is mostly rye grain, as opposed to bourbon, which is primarily corn. I treated myself to this fairly pricey bottle, which is a blend of American rye, Canadian rye, and port wine. The port is a real treat in this bottle. It adds a sweet, jammy note to the dark spicy rye that’s very welcome. Use your favorite whiskey, if you don’t feel like springing for a $50 bottle. I’d recommend Old Overholt or Rittenhouse Rye as options. (The whiskey has nothing to do with that snot-nosed kid, so don’t hold the name against the distillers.)

Old Forester Bohemian Bitters: There are a ton of intriguing bitters out there right now, most of them designed to go with American whiskey. These bitters are chocolate and cherry flavored, with the chicory-like gentian root needed to make for good cocktail balance. More is better when it comes to bitters, in my opinion. Use a full dropper, instead of 2-3 drops.

Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is wonderful with American whiskey, and it seems like a crime to use simple syrup with your cocktail when the opportunity to add flavor presents itself. Use in moderation. The Basil Hayden is sweeter than I expected, so a little less syrup is necessary. Taste and correct as you go.  

Garnish: The large orange twist adds some nice citrus notes, without the bitterness of an orange wheel. Luxardo or Amaro cherries would be huge treats in this cocktail, but they’re a bit pricey. If you can afford, indulge, but they aren’t strictly necessary. 

A large ice cube in an Old Fashioned permits for slower melting and dilution in your drink. Use what you like, but small ice cubes will make a watery cocktail. If you splurged on your whiskey, please consider using a good bottled spring water to freeze into ice cubes. If you wouldn’t add tap water to your cocktail, use better frozen water in your drinks. 

In summary and conclusion, drink well, drink often, and tip your bartender — donate to Wonkette at the link below!  And if you'd like to buy some bar gear or books from Amazon, please click here!

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