Enjoyed: Friday, January 24, 2025

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: G & W Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, crushed sugar cube, muddled orange and cherry, Angostura bitters

The occasion: After a long day of hiking various picturesque trails in Joshua Tree National Park, we wanted a cozy, relaxing, not-fast-food meal. We were pleasantly surprised that a town as remote as Twentynine Palms would have a restaurant once featured in the New York Times. The executive chef/owner is from Trinidad, and indeed, Caribbean flavors are his specialty. We shared several small plates and two desserts, and we were quite impressed.

My rating: *** out of 5. Solid, but nothing outstanding. Our waiter informed me that the Old Fashioned would be prepared “Wisconsin style”–I was not familiar with this. He explained that this meant lots of ice and muddled fruit. I was also not familiar with the bourbon, so I agreed to try it. I am outgrowing the need for muddled fruit in my drink, and I suspect the bourbon wasn’t “top shelf” worthy, either. But we were sitting outdoors, under heat lamps, next to a collection of cacti, so life was good.

Final thoughts: Once we returned home, I watched a few YouTube videos about “Wisconsin Old Fashioneds” so I think our server wasn’t exactly correct. In Wisconsin, apparently, an Old Fashioned is made with brandy, not whiskey. The fruit is indeed muddled, and a small amount of lemon-lime and/or grapefruit soda is added, and then the glass is filled to the top with crushed ice. I have yet to try this drink, but I have doubts.