Why You Should Try Drinking Your Old Fashioned Warm
It's a supper club staple — the Old Fashioned. It's the perfect drink to pair with a steak or a slice of prime rib served in a high-end restaurant. A simple, yet strong drink, the Old Fashioned has been the top beverage of choice for decades. However, new life has recently been stirred into the Old Fashioned by mixologists that love to experiment with its signature ingredients.
They have gone further than asking if it should be made with whiskey or bourbon. Now, it's being made with flavored whiskeys and even tequila. While the Old Fashioned always comes with a fruit garnish, most commonly an orange slice and a maraschino cherry, some bartenders have even toyed around with other fruit garnishes, such as blackberries and lemon.
Although the recipe for an Old Fashioned keeps getting reinvented, the earliest version of the drink was recorded at the start of the 1800s, and its popularity has ebbed and flowed with the times, according to Bevvy. It was in the late 1980s, that the drink got its due and was recognized as a classic American cocktail. While most variations of the Old Fashioned switch up its ingredients, there is a recipe that you should consider that alters its temperature.
A warm Old Fashioned
While traditionally served with ice, a different take on the classic Old Fashioned calls for it to be served warm (via Real Simple). The warm version of the cocktail is ideal for a cool night. Simply take a classic Old Fashioned and top it with some warm water. By adding some hot water to the cocktail, the flavors of the drink are intensified.
You can also warm the water in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer, per HGTV. Then stir sugar into the hot water until it dissolves, and then incorporate the bourbon or whiskey and bitters before pouring into glasses and garnishing with fruit. Finally, enjoy the Old Fashioned, preferably on a chilly night when a little warmth is needed.
Go ahead and have some fun the next time you want a warm cocktail and add some hot water to your Old Fashioned. You may just find you love the new version.