Episode 243

Featured Cocktail: Fall Old Fashioned Riffs

This episode’s featured cocktail is…well, it kinda has to be the Old Fashioned. But this is well-trodden ground. If you’re a regular listener, chances are you know how to make a pretty darn good Old Fashioned cocktail. So instead of looking at the recipe or posting some famous cocktail bar’s signature old fashioned riff, I thought it might be fun instead to spit out a few ideas for you to play around with as we exit National Bourbon Heritage Month and lean into “Fall proper” here in the US. Plus, if you’re planning to spend some quality time in the great outdoors watching the leaves turn, there’s no better cocktail for travel than a lovingly batched bottled or flasked old fashioned.

Spirits

First, when it comes to spirits, Fall is one of the most underrated times of year to enjoy Brandy, whether it’s produced from grapes or apples. Of course, we all think of brandy as a winter staple for punches and eggnogs and alexanders, but think about it: Fall is when apples and grapes are being harvested, so why not lean into the seasonality while you can still soak up a little of the sunshine responsible for that fruit?

On the grape side, you’ve got your classic brandies and cognacs. But have you tried making an Armagnac Old Fashioned? Armagnac has its own production rules and geographic designations that make it a fascinating spirit to explore, and the Old Fashioned is one of the perfect formats for that. In the realm of apples, an amazing fall spirit is aged apple brandy, particularly Calvados from the Normandy region of France. But, if you’re not in the market for an imported product, you can always pick up a bottle of Laird’s Applejack from the great state of New Jersey here in the US. Calvados and Applejack are going to have vastly different flavor profiles, but that’s all the more reason to explore them in an Old Fashioned.

One last spiritous suggestion is: Barrel-Aged Gin! This is a category that’s not super crazy popular right now. It came and went, replaced by pink gin and pandemic RTDs, but there are still some lovely aged gins available, especially in the craft space. So don’t be afraid – grab a bottle, and even though there’s juniper in them thar hills, we’d contend that you can make an excellent autumn-spiced old fashioned using gin that’s spent some time in wood.

Sweeteners and Bitters

On the sweeteners and bitters front, Autumn is also an excellent time to make custom syrups. Everybody’s got pumpkin spice on the brain anyway, so why not make a cinnamon syrup, or a nutty candied pecan syrup, or even a freakin’ pumpkin syrup. You can get double-duty out of these home-made products if you like to sweeten your coffee or bake, so be picky and intentional about your sugar source – maybe lean AWAY from boring granulated stuff – and don’t be afraid to use your sweetener as a main character in your Old Fashioned, rather than a plain old supporting actor.

If you’re looking for less seasonal and more universally attractive flavored syrups, right now, two more flexible flavors are molasses and coffee, both of which come in many different grades and varieties.

And as for bitters – well…if you’re running low, we’re officially switched over to our new co-packer, and we couldn’t be happier with how our first large-scale batches turned out. So head over to our eCommerce store today and pick up a bottle for your home bar…and maybe a bottle or a variety pack for holiday gifting purposes while you’re at it.