I’m hosting an event this weekend and I’m known for the old-fashioned that I make.

Instead of constantly standing at the bar, I’d like to be able to batch and pour.

I’ve seen a number of variations online, but I’ve not seen anything that looks consistently good. I wish I would’ve tried to experiment with this last week!

- For bourbon, I typically use bullet or buffalo trace.

- I typically use regular Angostura bitters.

- For sugar, I typically use brown sugar, any recommendations on a sugar to water ratio for batching?


Speaking of Water, I see a number of recommendations to add water to the batch. thoughts on that?

I was planning on presenting in a nice decanter, but I saw a couple of notes, suggesting to put it into a sealed container and shake before pouring each time.



Any suggestions or batch recipes that you’d recommend?

No water, but if you can add smoke or smoke it then it can enhance the flavor. Choose your bourbon at will.

I've never made them in a batch.

I typically use orange or cardamom bitters, sugar in the raw, a slice of orange peel, a Luxardo cherry and a splash of the cherry juice over a ball of ice.


Your thread reminds me I need to make some more ice before NYE (we're doing a bourbon tasting with some we won at a raffle).

Interested in what you end up doing and how it turns out .

Personally, if I were making a large batch, I'd purchase one of the many Old Fashioned Mixers available. There's one that I tried once from Whole Foods that was actually pretty good. Seems to me this would be your best option. Dump in the mixer and then add the bourbon in the proper proportions. Easy peasy Japanesey.

^^^ I was just going to say this.

This mix is pretty darn good.

https://elimason.com/?term=eli...VEAAYASAAEgLdBPD_BwE

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Personally, if I were making a large batch, I'd purchase one of the many Old Fashioned Mixers available. There's one that I tried once from Whole Foods that was actually pretty good. Seems to me this would be your best option. Dump in the mixer and then add the bourbon in the proper proportions. Easy peasy Japanesey.

Wish I would have thought about that before! The Bulleit version is actually pretty good.

Mine comes from an old moonshiner I knew.

1,200 pounds apricots
600 pounds sugar
3 pounds yeast
About 800 gallons water

Makes about 800 useful gallons of mash, which makes around 150 gallons of triple-distilled liquor.

Main thing I see is you need to make simple syrup. That would save a lot time.

I went with this…

12.7 oz of bourbon
2.2 oz simple syrup (I make my own from brown sugar)
2oz of water to cut the sharpness

Add bitters after pouring (2 dashes angostura and 2 dashes cinnamon)
Refrigerate and pour over single large cube

Came out pretty damn good!

I’ve never batched. But I use 2:1 Demerara sugar syrup. Brown would work. 2 ounces bourbon, 1/4 ounce syrup and 4 dashes angostura. Just do the math for a larger batch. Not sure on scaling up the bitters though.

2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Bring to a simmer and cool. Shelf stable syrup.

ETA: 4 dashes is about 1/4 teaspoon.

So here we go...

750 ml bottle is 25 ounces= 12.5 cocktails.

Add 3 ounces of the rich syrup and about 3 teaspoons of bitters. I'd start lower on the bitters and taste.

Personally I don't muddle any fruit in my old fashioned. A nice lemon and orange rind for garnish. A luxardo cherry is nice also.

Regarding the water, good point since the real question is will you stir the batch in ice to dilute. Probably not. Some bars make theirs right in the glass over ice. I don't tend to like that as it is too strong to start. So adding a bit of water makes sense. But if you have a vessel large enough I'd just add some ice, stir the shit out of it and scoop out the ice. Then it will be cold to start also.

Clearly I came into the wrong thread. I have never mixed a drink with the level of accuracy you guys are talking about. 12.2 oz of this, 2.7 oz of that. I have never gone to a decimal place when pouring. Obviously I am a Neanderthal. lol

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Clearly I came into the wrong thread. I have never mixed a drink with the level of accuracy you guys are talking about. 12.2 oz of this, 2.7 oz of that. I have never gone to a decimal place when pouring. Obviously I am a Neanderthal. lol

It really is pretty interesting when you dig into it. Depending on what you are making, the recipe sometimes needs to be pretty exact (think baking). A chef I once knew never used the word ‘recipe’, everything to him was a ‘formula’.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Clearly I came into the wrong thread. I have never mixed a drink with the level of accuracy you guys are talking about. 12.2 oz of this, 2.7 oz of that. I have never gone to a decimal place when pouring. Obviously I am a Neanderthal. lol

It really is pretty interesting when you dig into it. Depending on what you are making, the recipe sometimes needs to be pretty exact (think baking). A chef I once knew never used the word ‘recipe’, everything to him was a ‘formula’.

I got heavily into making classic cocktails during Covid. The biggest lessonsI learned was measuring and quality ingredients. Meaning no sour mix or any “mix” for that matter. No Rose’s sweetened lime juice. I can tell immediately if a cocktail is mixed wrong. If it’s done right you know and become a bit of a cocktail snob.

I really want to like Old Fashioneds. My buddy loves them but I don't like his. I went on a cruise and one of the bars had an Old Fashioned menu, like a dozen different versions (not sure if this is heresy), I tried what sounded like the "sweetest" one and liked it. I do think the process or formula sounds cool (same reason I shave with a badger brush and DE).

I fell in love with the bacon maple old fashion at Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater,ok. Has a big thick slice of bacon as garnish. Asked the bartender where they got maple simple syrup and discovered proof simple syrups. I bought their entire collection kit and have enjoyed experimenting with various old fashions.

Tommy

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
I really want to like Old Fashioneds. My buddy loves them but I don't like his. I went on a cruise and one of the bars had an Old Fashioned menu, like a dozen different versions (not sure if this is heresy), I tried what sounded like the "sweetest" one and liked it. I do think the process or formula sounds cool (same reason I shave with a badger brush and DE).

Classically an old fashioned will have a sugar cube muddled in the bottom of the glass. It gets sweeter as you drink it. Most times it’s made this way it is made in the glass.

I prefer sugar syrup mixed in. I build mine in a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir it till your fingers are almost too cold to hold the glass. Strain over a big cube. This gives the initial dilution that I feel is needed. Guys that drink bourbon neat will likely think my way is too sweet.