This week happens to be Old Fashioned Week, so I thought I’d mix things up by turning the classic cocktail on its head and offering a twist on the time-tested staple. I’m incorporating my favorite spirit – tequila – for a Mexican take on the Old Fashioned! The Old Fashioned is a cocktail typically made by muddling sugar with ANGOSTURA® bitters, then adding alcohol (originally whiskey) and a twist of citrus. The drink actually is “old,” with roots dating back to the late 1800s and a name was given to the drink in the 1880s. The cocktail has been a signature go-to for decades, and has recently seen a rise in popularity, partially due to Don Draper’s proclivity for the drink on “Mad Men.”
When I came across this recipe, it blew my mind. I had no idea that another spirit could be swapped for whiskey and still constitute an Old Fashioned – let alone tequila! I love fresh grapefruit with my tequila, so I immediately fell in love with this take. It’s also incredibly easy to make!
No matter how you drink your Old Fashioned, one thing always remains consistent – it’s never complete without ANGOSTURA bitters. ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters are regarded as the ubiquitous benchmark for the Old Fashioned cocktail. Whether you’re at a high-end hotel bar or your neighborhood dive, if they serve an Old Fashioned, it better be dashed with ANGOSTURA bitters.
Tequila Old Fashioned
- Ingredients:
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- ¼ oz Demerara syrup
- 2 dashes ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters
- Garnish: grapefruit rind
- Glass: rocks
- Method:
- Add ingredients to an ice-filled mixing glass.
- Stir well.
- Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
- Squeeze the oils from the grapefruit rind over the drink, then insert into the drink as garnish.
For Old Fashioned Week, nearly 1,200 bars around the world are commemorating the legendary cocktail until this Saturday, November 10th with special offers, events and more. Those of y’all in New York, stop by: Maiden Lane, Butter & Scotch, Blueprint, Mother of Pearl and The Tippler to celebrate, or try my Tequila Old Fashioned recipe at home using ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters, available at grocery stores and liquor retailers nationwide. Check out the full list of participating bars here to taste your way through Old Fashioned Week 2018.
Stay Risky,
– John
Photography by Elizabeth Catalano
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of ANGOSTURA. The opinions and text are all mine.
