Spirit. Sugar. Bitters. Water. ⁣
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Whats so special about that? ⁣
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You can get an Old Fashioned anywhere. If you introduced Bourbon to an uncontacted tribe on a remote Pacific island and came back a week later, I've got faith that someone there would have figured out how to pour Bourbon over sugar and orange and add a clumsy splash of angostura. ⁣
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The Old Fashioned is such a simple concept that a lot of people mistake it for a simple drink, but the minimalist formula presents an opportunity to let subtle choices and techniques influence the end result.⁣
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A good Old Fashioned uses bitters to accentuate or accompany the qualities of your chosen base spirit without overwhelming it.  The spirit is the star of the show, while sugar sands down the ethanol and ties bitters and base together. Then all you need is a bit of citrus to add a bright aromatic. I tend to treat the garnish like cologne. The citrus oils should suggest without insisting. ⁣
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This one I really enjoyed. The base is Cognac. Hennessy Classivm has a warm and nutty flavor. Havana and Hide bitters accentuate that warmth with a rich clove aroma while also adding a bit of smoke. For the sweetener I made a salted plum and black tea syrup which came out so well. It's the perfect mix of stone fruit to complement the Cognac and salt to match the smokey bitters. ⁣
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Sham Dangerous⁣
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2 oz @hennessy Classivm⁣
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.25 oz Salted Plum and Black Tea syrup⁣
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1 dash @1821bitters Havana and Hide bitters⁣
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2 drops absinthe⁣
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stir, strain over a large cube, express orange and discard. Garnish with a salted plum. ⁣ Name is from my favorite Chinglish sign I've seen while living here. Check out my story for a pic. It's Old Fashioned week on Insta so for the next few days I'll be doing riffs on the classic

Image and recipe courtesy of @thenickromancer.

@thenickromancer

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