David's Bar Cart: Old Fashioned

When I was in university, my grandfather (who extolled the virtues of a summer cocktail hour) taught me how to make my first cocktail. Sugar, bitters, orange – smooth and sweet at the same time. It was an Old Fashioned, and I was hooked on bartending. Over my university years, cocktail making helped to offset the money I spent cocktail drinking, and became my go-to party trick at dinner parties (remember when we used to have those?)

When George, Duke of Kent, showed up in my novel demanding a cocktail, I knew I had to base it on the first and best drink: the Old Fashioned, as taught by my Grandpa. Here it is.

2 oz. bourbon

1 sugar cube

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Ice

Orange twist

Put the sugar cube in the bottom of a rock glass and cover it with the bitters. Using a teaspoon, muddle up the sugar cube (adding a little bit of water to make the task easier). Add the ice (preferably a large lump, but cubes can work too), and pour over the whiskey. Stir, then garnish with the orange twist.