Old & New Fashioned Cocktails

We want to thank Lino from Upstairs on the Square for sharing this recipe with us, particularly the Marinated Maraschino Cherries (detailed below) which he has never shared with anyone. We are honored, Lino. Thank you.

Ingredients

For the Old Fashioned

  • 2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey
  • 1 sugar cube
  • several dashes Angostura bitters

For Upstairs on the Square's new spin on the Old Fashioned

  • 2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey
  • 1 sugar cube
  • 3 wedges of orange (2 for muddling, 1 for garnish)
  • several dashes Angostura bitters
  • ½ oz house-made maraschino cherry marinade (recipe below)
  • 3 marinated cherries for garnish

For the Marinated Maraschino Cherries (makes a large batch you can have on hand to enjoy)

  • 8 oz organic grape juice
  • 6-10 oz lemon juice (to taste)
  • 3 stalks of lemongrass, cut small & bruised (with a meat tenderizer, hammer, whatever you have on hand)
  • 16 oz demarara (raw) sugar
  • 32 oz water
  • 1 tbsp anise seeds
  • 2 tbsp almond extract
  • enough cherries to fill 2 32-oz containers AFTER you've put the rest of ingredients in the containers

How-to

For the Old Fashioned

  1. Put sugar cube in glass, add bitters and muddle the sugar and the bitters
  2. Add ice and the rye whiskey or bourbon and give it a gentle stir
  3. Put fresh ice in an old fashioned glass, strain and serve

For Upstairs on the Square's new spin on the Old Fashioned

  1. Put 2 pieces of orange in a shaker
  2. Add 2 house-marinated cherries (recipe below) and several dashes of Angostura bitters and muddle the orange, cherries and bitters
  3. Add ice and rye whiskey or bourbon
  4. Add ½ oz maraschino cherry marinade (recipe below) and shake
  5. Put some fresh ice in an old fashioned glass, garnish the glass with an orange slice
  6. Strain into the old fashioned glass and serve

For the Marinated Maraschino Cherries & Marinade

  1. Heat the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan on the stove until the sugar dissolves
  2. Stir in the almond extract
  3. Pour liquid into 2 32-oz containers and fill remaining space in containers with fresh cherries
  4. Marinate cherries overnight or longer