Pure Recipes.

The Whiskey Cocktail

The first official record we have of the Whiskey Cocktail was in 1862, when a bartender named Jerry Thomas created the first cocktail recipe book called “The Bartender’s Guide - How to Mix Drinks”.

His recipe is simple:

• 3-4 dashes of gum syrup (or a bar spoon of simple syrup)

• 2 dashes of bitters

• a “wine glass” of whiskey (about 2 ounces)

• a piece of lemon peel

• Fill a cocktail shaker ⅓ full of fine ice, shake, and strain into a fancy wine glass, typically over one large ice cube. Garnish with lemon peel.

So that’s it. That’s all there is to a whisky cocktail, no cherries, no maraschino cherry juice, no mix, no oranges, no soda or water. A far cry from some of the Old Fashioneds of today.

Old School Old Fashioned

Come with me back to 1888, when a bartender at a saloon in Chicago cataloged his recipes in a book called The Bartender’s Manual. This is one of the first printed records of the cocktail we call the Old Fashioned. Here’s his recipe, which may seem familiar:

In an Old Fashioned glass, take a teaspoon of sugar and dissolve with a bar spoon of water. Add a few dashes of Angostura bitters and a bar spoon of simple syrup. Twist a lemon peel over the mixture to release the oils, drop the peel into the glass. Add 2oz of whiskey and one large chunk of ice.

There was a time when this cocktail was served with a spoon to scoop out all that sugary goodness in the bottom of the glass! I think it’s about time for that tradition to be brought back, don’t you?

Canadian Whiskey Old Fashioned

Shhh! Canadian Whiskey was sometimes smuggled over the border during Prohibition - let’s use that today instead of trying the whiskey somebody made in their bathtub!

• 2oz Canadian Whiskey

• a teaspoon of Triple Sec

• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

• 3 dashes lemon juice

• lemon rind and orange rind

Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker and strain into an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon and orange.

A Proper Wisconsin Old Fashioned

In a rocks glass, muddle one maraschino cherry, one orange slice, one sugar cube, and two dashes bitters together. Add one shot of either brandy, bourbon, or whiskey. Add a generous amount of ice and top with either sweet or sour soda. Stir briefly and serve with an orange slice.

The Southern Comfort Old Fashioned

• Sugar Cube

• Maraschino Cherry and Juice

• Orange Slice, quartered

• Your Favorite “Camping” Tumbler

• Angostura Bitters

• 2oz Southern Comfort

• Sweet or Sour Soda

Add sugar cube, cherry, and orange into your favorite tumbler. Soften the sugar cube with cherry juice and bitters, and muddle gently together with fruit. Add in SoCo and fill to the top of the glass with ice, top off with your choice of a sweet or sour soda. Ideally enjoyed with friends around a campfire.

Grapefruit Honey Jack Old Fashioned

• Whole Grapefruit

• Raw Cane Sugar

• Bitters

• Maraschino Cherry

• Simple Syrup

• Honey Jack Daniels

• Sparkling Water

Rim the rocks glass by dipping in a saucer of grapefruit juice (or try honey!), then in a second saucer of cane sugar. In a cocktail shaker, muddle a quarter slice of grapefruit, cherry, bitters, and simple syrup. Add 1.5 oz Honey Jack Daniels Whiskey and a tablespoon or so of grapefruit juice. Carefully pour into the prepared glass, filled with ice, and fill to the top with sparking water.

Enjoy! This is a favorite!

• 1.5 oz Bourbon

• 1 Bar Spoon Simple Syrup

• 2-3 Dashes Bitters

• Orange

• Sparkling Water

Combine bourbon, simple syrup, and the bitters in a tall glass. Juice half of the orange into glass, add ice. Fill glass to top with sparkling water. Slice remaining orange and use for garnish. (or a second drink!)

TIP: Using a tall, narrow glass like a Collins glass helps to keep fizzy drinks fizzy!

Find the inspiration recipe here.

• 2oz Maker’s Mark

• 2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters

• 1t Raw Cane Sugar

• Orange Peel

In an Old Fashioned glass, muddle together sugar, bitters, and a splash of Maker’s Mark. Fill the glass with ice or one large ice cube. Add 2oz bourbon and stir. Twist the orange peel over the glass to release the orange oil (you can also rub it on the rim of the glass), use the orange peel as garnish.

Find the Original Recipe here.

SOCO Old Fashioned Tall

(Make this one with love...not an attitude!)

Muddle a sugar cube, orange wedge, maraschino cherry, and two shakes of bitters in a 16oz glass. Add 2oz of Southern Comfort, then fill the glass to top with ice. Add sweet or sour soda (depends on who you ask). Give it a quick stir and garnish as desired.

Secret Tip: After scooping out your maraschino cherries - make sure there’s a little bit of the juice left on the bar spoon before stirring the drink. Adds enough extra flavor to set your drinks apart!