Although the classic Improved Gin Cocktail is a favorite, gin-based Old Fashioneds are not something you see very often. So I was intrigued when I saw one in Death & Co new cocktail book. Even better, this particular one was an occasion to use my homemade orgeat (I used a coconut orgeat that I made with a fresh coconut using the same technique I normally use with almonds).
The cocktail is pretty simple – a juniper-heavy gin, Anchor’s Junipero, accented with a touch of crème de pêche, some orgeat, and a combination of Peychaud’s and orange bitters. If you like the Army and Navy, a gin sour with orgeat, or the Saturn, its tiki-fied consin, you will likely enjoy this one. And as is the case with the Army & Navy, it’s actually a great thing to have the juniper flavor contrast with the softness of the orgeat, so a juniper-forward gin like the Junipero or a good London dry actually works best.
The Monroe (Scott Teague)
to a mixing glass add:
1.5 oz Anchor Junipero gin
0.5 oz Massenez crème de pêche (Briottet pêche de vigne)
0.25 oz orgeat (homemade coconut orgeat)
3 dashes D&C Peychaud’s bitters (Peychaud’s)
1 dash D&C orange bitters (Fee Brothers, Regan, Angostura)
add ice, stir, strain into old fashioned glass over a large ice cube
top with 0.5 oz club soda
The recipe adds a bit of complication with the bitters to what is otherwise a fairly straightforward cocktail. When PDT uses a mixture of Fee + Regan’s as their “house” orange bitters, Death & Co takes it to another level by adding Angostura orange to the mix. As for the Peychaud’s bitters, they actually use both the classic Peychaud’s and The Bitter Truth Creole bitters. Five bitters in one cocktail. Is that a record?
The cocktail has a lovely pale pink-apricot color, much more subdued than Marilyn’s pink strapless dress in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (which has its own Wikipedia entry, who knew).
Worth to note, the Death & Co book release party is traveling all over the US. After a first stop at its homebase and one a few days ago at Honeycut in LA, it is coming to San Diego in November. Check out the complete schedule here.
Further reading
- If you liked this, check out The Wink, a gin-based Sazerac variation
- Also make sure to revisit David Wondrich’s take on the Old-Fashioned Gin Cocktail, including the Improved Gin Cocktail. Try it with St. George dry rye gin and maraschino liqueur for something different.
Rye Gin Old Fashioned (Thad Vogler, Bar Agricole)
to a mixing glass add:
1.5 oz St. George dry rye gin
2 barspoons Small Hands gum syrup
1 barspoon Leopold maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
2 dashes cherry bitters (Fee’s old-fashioned)
2 dashes aromatic bitters (Angostura)
add ice, stir, strain into old fashioned glass over a large ice cube
orange and lemon zest garnish
