Old Codger

This is our unsophisticated, easier drinking version of the popular, classic, finicky drink, Old Fashioned. It is so easy drinking you can use lower shelf all the way to underground bourbon.

Admittedly, this is not a beautiful looking drink. But it tastes great, drink after drink, even to people who don’t ordinarily drink bourbon, like us.

Recipients: People who need bourbon conversion that can handle their alcohol

 

EQUIPMENT

Scotch glass or wine glass. This drink isn’t pretending to be enlightened so even drink it out of a jar or mug, whatever takes your fancy.

Stirring implement like a swizzle stick, tall spoon or chopstick, like we used

 

INGREDIENTS

45ml bourbon

2 orange wedges. We cut a small orange into eight wedges.

1 teaspoon sugar. We use brown or raw.

Bitters

 

METHOD

Drip a few drops of bitters into your glass.

Pour your bourbon into your glass.

Squeeze juice from the two orange wedges into the glass and drop the squeezed wedge in the glass.

Add sugar to your glass.

Fill glass with ice. Stir vigorously to melt the ice a little.

 

SERVE

Serve it in the glass you made it in.

 

OPTIONAL

1. If you find this too sweet or if your oranges are quite sweet, omit the sugar.

2. If you want more intense orange flavour, you can put the orange wedges, bitters and sugar in the glass first then muddle them a little to release more oil from the orange skin, before adding the rest of the ingredients.

3. If you don’t like chunks of orange in your drink, complete the method in an ice shaker and strain into your glass.

ANECDOTE

Sue, Shelly and Lamese made this for the first time with a dusty bottle of Southern Comfort Sue had neglected. It was the night of the Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras and we were invited to a party by Sue’s stylish cousin, Dean. We didn’t know what to do with Southern Comfort and took a chance on the Old Fashioned method. By the second round we were cutting corners and our new drink was named. Since that first time, we’ve made these with bourbon instead of Southern.

Dean hasn’t invited us anywhere since.