Enjoyed: Friday, October 15, 2021

Listed on the menu: No, but the bartender quickly agreed to create one for me.

Ingredients:  Maker’s Mark 46 bourbon, simple syrup, muddled orange slice, muddled cherry, soda water, and Angostura bitters. 

The occasion: Day 2 of my visit with my mother was stressing me a bit. Mama refused to rest, and I knew she needed her regular after-lunch nap.  I told her I was going to drive and look for a sandwich and that I would be back no sooner than an hour. This bar was conveniently only a 5 minute drive from the nursing home–and the bar served well-rated food.

My rating: *** out of 5. The bartender didn’t ask me for my whiskey preference, and he selected Maker’s Mark 46, which is a bit stronger than regular Maker’s Mark (109.6 versus 90 proof). I inwardly gasped when I watched him pour me a double shot. I had to extend my lunch hour a bit, needless to say, because I felt that drink!  I wonder if I looked like I needed a double. As I was paying, he asked if he had made the cocktail correctly, since he rarely gets called on to make them. “It was fine, just fine,” I assured him.

Final thoughts: I commented to the bartender that I don’t usually see Old Fashioneds made with soda water, except in the Chicago area. I later learned that the addition of soda water (or even lemon-lime soda) makes this a “Wisconsin Old Fashioned”. I suppose if you are drinking double shots of strong bourbon, and living in the shadow of The City of The Big Shoulders, you are wise to add a little more water.