Improved Mid-Century Old Fashioned
- 2 fluid ounces of bourbon
- ¼ fluid ounce (1½ teaspoons) of maraschino liqueur
- ¼ fluid ounce (1½ teaspoons) of orange curaçao
- 1 teaspoon of demerara gum syrup or 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of demerara sugar
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 1 dash of orange bitters
If using sugar rather than syrup, muddle with the bitters and a splash of water, until dissolved. Stir all of the ingredients with ice and strain into a lowball glass with a single large cube or sphere of ice. May be mixed in the serving glass with the serving ice, for a less diluted drink. Garnish with an orange peel and a maraschino cherry.
The mid-century Old Fashioned is infamous for including muddled neon cherries and orange slices, as well as topping the drink off with soda water. A better choice for a cherry-and-orange-flavored Old Fashioned would be to take cues from the “improved cocktail” formula, as we do above.