Compromises for a Great Old Fashioned

My husband and I live in the country and a drive to town is 30 minutes one way, this isn't that bad. We plan our menus for two weeks at a time and usually I grab anything missing on my way home from work. But times have changed. We now are both working from home, and a trip to town is a true adventure.

Working from home is relaxing. In our spare time the house has been deep cleaned, the project list is decreasing, the honey do list is... doing. But we miss the Friday Happy Hours and weekend BBQ's with friends.

Now Friday has come again, I asked my husband what he wanted to do this evening and he replied 'Happy Hour with friends; a relaxing bar and a good drink'.

Happy Hour, well any time can be happy, I am happy now. Check.

Friends, I am a friend right? Check.

Relaxing Bar. The Patio is Relaxing - Front patio or back? Bonfire or no bonfire? Gotta think about this one.

Good Drink - What do you want to drink? Mostly joking he came back with "I want an Old Fashioned".

I don't remember the last time we had an Old Fashion, but it is happy hour, we can do this... I think. When I cleaned the kitchen this morning I saw Bitters. Bourbon and Bitters is all you need right? Can't go to the store but I can make this work... maybe... probably need a few more things. To the internet . . .

Here are two great options from Instructables I found that got me thinking History-of-an-Old-Fashioned and Flamed-Citrus-Old-Fashioned.

• Ice
• Bourbon
• Bitters
• Sugar
• Club Soda
• Garnish with Orange Peel and Maraschino Cherry

Ok time for some kitchen compromises. To the fridge, pantry and liquor cabinet...

• Ice, check.
• Bourbon, check.
• Bitters
  • Is there an expiration date? This is at least 5 years old... looks good, doesn't say it is expired...Check.
• Sugar
  • We have sugar cube for grandma's Christmas coffee. They look good, win for vacuum sealing. Check.
• Club Soda, nope.
  • How about tonic water, I have that, close enough right?
• Orange, nope no chance
  • I have lime. Sounds good.
• Maraschino Cherry, nope.
  • Found grenadine in the very back of the fridge... what is grenadine?
    • Red juice... cherry?
    • Internet says... pomegranate juice... good enough.

Maybe this should be a 'New' Fashioned not an 'Old' Fashioned. Either way, now that we have the ingredients, we need to make the drink.

Step One:

Gather the 'ingredients'. Well, we have a few compromises but this is going to be good.

Step Two:

In a short glass place one sugar cube, then dash of grenadine, saturate with tonic water and a splash of bitters, one or two drops.

Muddle. That's fancy drink talk for stir and squish.

Add Ice, 3 or 4 cubes

Cut a slice of lime, squeeze juice in the glass, toss the lime in the glass and muddle a little more.

Add 2 ounces bourbon, that is 2 shot glasses full-ish. 😜

Stir Well.

Step Three

Take a Sip

Happy Hour, with his favorite person (me), on the front patio, next to a hot bonfire with a good drink. We managed to make a good Old Fashioned based on the items we found in the house. Not bad for a Friday.

Cheers!