Another Mac developer wrote a fine article on my favorite drink, the Old Fashioned. I’d like to share my own recipe. I always order Old Fashioneds in bars, and I have never found one that suits my taste as well as this recipe.

It’s a good thing I like Old Fashioneds, because I would drink them just for the name. For years I tried without success to make an Old Fashioned. How hard could it be? Bourbon, water, sugar, bitters, and something to impart a hint of citric fruit. Any fool can do that, right? Well, this fool could not, and I was reaching a time in life when I had a regular and pressing need for a good drink.

In law school, at one of our weekly bar review outings, a classmate revealed to me the secret of a fine Old Fashioned: you have to add the ingredients in the right sequence. Specifically, the last three ingredients must be water, ice, and bourbon, in that order. Experiments proved that he was right. I’ve no idea why, but getting the sequence right makes all the difference.

The article I mentioned earlier says, “The sugar goes in first, followed by a splash of water, which, with the help of a few quick stirs, dissolves the sugar and creates a coarse simple syrup.” I have never found sugar to dissolve so readily. It always precipitates to the bottom of the glass. When desperate I will use sugar, but I much prefer syrup because it dissolves immediately. I used to make my own simple syrup by boiling equal amounts of sugar and water until the volume remaining is half the original. Keep it in the refrigerator. It’s an essential ingredient in Mint Juleps, so it’s good to have some simple sytrup on hand in May.

Simple syrup disappeared from my bar kit when I lived in Maine and discovered pure maple syrup. Now I use it wherever I formerly used sugar. It’s hard to think of a food that is not improved by the addition of maple syrup. I used to buy “Grade B cooking grade” syrup: darker, stronger, and half the price. I haven’t seen any Grade B in years, unfortunately. By all means avoid the so-called maple syrup that is cut with corn syrup.

Here, then is the recipe:

• 1 teaspoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1/2 teaspoon syrup from the maraschino cherry jar

Mix these ingredients in a glass. Then add:

• 1 slice orange, if you have it
• 1 teaspoon water

and stir. Add some ice cubes. Then pour:

• 2 ounces bourbon

over the top, stir, and serve.