It blew my mind when I first discovered that the original "Cocktail," later referred to as the "Old Fashioned" Cocktail was primarily made with Gin or Brandy, and that it wasn't until there was shortage of those supplies from overseas, that Whiskey became the spirit of choice. I had long before played around with other spirits in my Old Fashioned's, (my favorite being a Mezcal Old Fashioned with smoked Lemon and Aztec Chocolate bitters I affectionately called "Tequila Mockingbird") but I had never realized the history and legitimacy of such endeavors. This realization gave me far more courage and creativity than I'd previously known.
Over the next few days I played around with several variations of Gin Old Fashioned's, and many had their upsides, but eventually I wanted to try something that mimicked the flavor profile of a Gin & Tonic (sans the Tonic Water, of course). What follows is my favorite attempt so far...
G&T Old Fashioned
1 Bar Spoon Elderflower Liqueur
2 Bar Spoons Ginger Liqueur
2 oz London Dry Gin
1-2 Dashes of Citrus Bitters
1-2 Dashes of Lavender & Juniper Bitters
Lemon Zest
Optional: Smoke (Alder Wood and the Smoke Top my kids got me for Father's Day)
P.S. I make my own Lavender & Juniper Bitters (I call them G&T Bitters) by infusing 1 cup of Everclear (or other overproof spirit) with about 2 tsp of Juniper Berries, 1 tsp of Lavender, and a few other botanicals like Dried Citrus Peels, Rose Petals, Green Tea, etc. I also created my own Citrus Bitters similarly. Creating your own bitters is a lot of fun and saves a lot of money over the long run. Plus they make great gifts! Let me know if you have any questions. If you'd like for me to write a post on making homemade bitters, comment below.
