Joanne Moffett has the two characteristics of a great hostess: a warm heart and a generous pour.
She shows her admirable skills as a mixologist, whipping up Old-Fashioneds for a group of friends sharing a beach house on the Outer Banks.
A classic cocktail, the Old-Fashioned was invented in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1886. My parents sipped them in the 1960s. My mother’s stepfather shared his Old-Fashioned recipe with LBJ.
They are a little sweet for my taste, but I am willing to give them another try. (And likely will again after I complete my month without meat, refined sugar or alcohol on Jan. 31.)
Jo starts with this basic recipe, then puts her own special twist on the drink:
Ingredients
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 orange slice
1/2 oz. simple syrup (make your own or buy ready-made)
2 1/2 oz. bourbon
Optional splash of club soda
Maraschino cherry
Mrs. Moffett makes a posh Old-Fashioned. She uses Woodford Reserve, a small batch bourbon. And she doesn’t make do with perching an orange slice on the rim of the glass. She places rounds of fragrant orange peel in the bottom of the glass and muddles it to release the essential oils.
“This is a very important step,” she advises. “We want our Old-Fashioned to be fruity.”
Now it’s time to start pouring. Forget the jigger.
“I just eyeball everything,” she says.
“I’ll watch,” I say. “Very carefully.”
Into the glass go our ingredients, with lots of ice. We can’t decide if we want our Old-Fashioneds with or without the optional splash of club soda. So we decide to try both. After all, we are on vacation!
I take a sip. I like this Old-Fashioned. The oil from the orange peel adds a layer of freshness and complexity. And the premium bourbon also is a treat.
After meticulously researching both cocktails, I pronounce that I prefer my Old-Fashioned with a splash of soda. But if there isn’t any soda handy, I could cheerfully do without.
A few extra special ingredients–salt air, the rolling surf and good company–make this an especially memorable cocktail. Cheers, Jo.