Old Tom Fashioned

Happy World Whisky Day everyone! I’m looking forward to celebrating later tonight which at the moment seems way too far away…

But in the classification of “confusing and delicious” I stumbled upon something I couldn’t leave on the shelves this past weekend. As I was perusing the aisles of Warehouse Liquor (an activity I find myself doing rather frequently these days), I was taken at the blip of brown in the midst of clear gin. As a quick side note, I’m still completely blown away by the number of vodka and gin options there are at this point. I wouldn’t even know where to start. So it was certainly nice that this bottle of Old Tom Gin made the decision easy for me.

As a reference back to an 1800s style liquor, this Ransom Old Tom Gin is actually barrel aged for a short time period. Not unlike the Linie Aquavit, this relatively short aging process helps develop a significant smoothness and baseline of flavor for the otherwise alcohol forward liquor. After doing a bit more digging online, the Ransom continued to tug at my heart strings.

The use of corn based liquors for the botanical flavorings renders Ransom a slightly bourbon-like quality that works perfectly in cocktails. In addition, the use of a malted barley mash is more whisky than gin. So naturally, I went straight to my go-to Old Fashioned and found a really unique flavor profile that I’m excited to keep working with. If only everything could be slightly barrel aged and taste more like bourbon. I’d be putting all sorts of stuff in barrels!

Any Ransom lovers out there?

Old Tom Fashioned

1 sugar cube

2-4 dashes of angostura bitters

1 tsp water

3 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin

In a rocks glass or whisky glass, muddle the sugar, bitters and water until well mixed. Add the Ransom and one ice cube. Drink like its 1799.

Rosemary’s Gin

Gin is a polarizing spirit.

Originally developed for medicinal purposes, Gin garners its prominent flavor from juniper berries which is where the divide begins. To some, the woodsy taste and aroma of a gin cocktail is enough to persuade towards the more neutral vodka. But then there are those that swear by the stuff. Ask a true martini drinker if he prefers Vodka or Gin, and he’ll respond with only “I said a martini, didn’t I?”. Yet, despite being myself a gin fan, I get the other side of the argument. I think my rosemary lemon gin fizz can act as the mediator…

This gin cocktail acts by balancing the bold juniper with the brightness of the lemon and the aromatics of the rosemary. The key is in the creation of the rosemary simple syrup before hand so that there is just enough rosemary and just enough sweetness. This simple syrup method is perfect for extracting flavors. You could use other herbs, citrus peels, or even whole spices to infuse future cocktails. The rosemary version is a great starting place:

Rosemary’s Gin:

2 oz gin

3 oz rosemary simple syrup

1 oz lemon juice

1 dash of lemon bitters

splash of seltzer

In a cocktail shaker mix the first three ingredients until well combined. Pour over ice, add the last two ingredients and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Rosemary Simply Syrup:

4 cups water

2 cups sugar

6 rosemary sprigs

In a sauce pan bring the three ingredients to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes on med/low heat. Turn the heat off and let sit for 30 minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Many recipes call for equal sugar and water but I prefer to have a more dilute version to control the sweetness.