Enjoyed: Saturday, September 25, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Old Fashioned. 

Ingredients: Seagram’s 7 blended whiskey, muddled quarter of an orange, whole maraschino cherry, sugar, bitters, soda. The orange flavor was prominent, the cherry flavor was not.

The occasion: Husband and I were on a getaway weekend in the Alleghany Highlands. We spent several hours at Douthat State Park, and then drove along some scenic byways to Hot Springs, Virginia, for a brewery stop, then checked into a lovely inn in Covington. The host recommended this restaurant, a local favorite. We noticed several families were there to celebrate special occasions. 

My rating: *** out of 5. The chef was also acting as bartender that evening due to a staff shortage–a ubiquitous problem in the service industry–so I didn’t want to impose and ask further questions about my drink! The restaurant was the kind of steakhouse we often patronized with our parents–generous cuts of red meat, shrimp cocktails, Oysters Rockefeller, baked potatoes, vegetables drowning in butter, hot rolls, and so on. Delicious, stick-to-your-ribs food, with no room for fancy plating and exotic spices. The bar menu was exactly as we expected, too, with choices like Manhattans, Martinis, Screwdrivers, and Rob Roys. My Old Fashioned was probably identical to an Old Fashioned that would have been served to my dad in 1968 or so, complete with the Seagram’s and the maraschino cherry.

Final thoughts: At $8, this was the least expensive Old Fashioned, I believe, in all my travels so far. Good value, yes, but I don’t mind paying more to get a craft bourbon and a Luxardo cherry.

Enjoyed: Sunday, September 6, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Old Fashioned (with choice of Bare Knuckles Whiskeys).

Ingredients: Straight Rye Whiskey (as bartender recommended), muddled orange slice, muddled maraschino cherry, sugar cube, barrel-aged bitters.

The occasion: Husband and I had no plans for this Sunday before Labor Day, so we drove to Manassas to again visit Gainfully Employed Son 2.0. The mid-afternoon brought drizzle, so we opted for an indoor activity, i.e. a visit to KO Distilling. Husband chose a flight of whiskeys–which he enjoyed– instead of a cocktail. The staff was very friendly and eager to chat with us.

My rating: ** out of 5. The rye was undoubtedly well-crafted, but the remaining ingredients, although traditional for an Old Fashioned, were more of a distraction than an enhancement. My first taste of the cocktail was like a burst of Red Hot candy. The red color of the drink also confused me. Did the bartender add Fireball to my drink? Yes, rye should have a sharpness, but why was I tasting cinnamon so strongly? I was hoping for more subtlety and sophistication in both presentation and taste.

Final thoughts: Son’s cocktail (a spin on a Sazerac) was also disappointing. He remarked that the distillery’s selection of cocktails was too large. Indeed, the menu was several pages long. “If you’re going to make cocktails, offer a small amount of choices but learn to make each one well every time,” he remarked. 

Enjoyed: Monday, August 9, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Cold Brew Old Fashioned, but just for this evening. We were lucky that our stay at the hotel coincided with a pool party sponsored by Mr. Black Spirits, so the featured cocktails all used this coffee liqueur.

Ingredients: Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, George Dickel Rye, Orange Bitters, and a sprig of thyme.

The occasion: For our final night of our week in Nashville, we chose The Dive Motel, known as the Key Motel in its prime in the 1950s/60s, and now renovated to be a fun boutique hotel with a cool pool and a bar full of retro furniture and decorations. We stayed in the Lady Jayne room, complete with a furry pink headboard, pictures of unicorns, a disco ball suspended above the bed, and piped-in music on demand. (Guests can choose from 4 themes: sex; drugs; rock and roll; and sleep.) If you ask, I will tell you about the Not Suitable For Work items in the mini bar. We were by far the oldest guests there that night, but we didn’t care. We giggled, a lot.

My rating: **** out of 5. I love the taste of coffee, and I love Old Fashioneds, but I never would have thought to put the two together. Points to Mr. Black for providing ingenious as well as more traditional choices, such as Breakfast Pina Colada (which I also sampled), Frozen Mango Margarita Negra, Espresso Martini, and White Russian. Normally, I would have given this drink three stars, but I elevated the ranking to four for two reasons: all the cocktails were FREE and we drank them while cooling off in the pool. A memorable afternoon, indeed.

Final thoughts: We could easily get accustomed to free cocktails in the pool. Sigh. Vacations are nice.

Enjoyed: Saturday, August 7, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Epice Old Fashioned

Ingredients: Old Forester bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, bitters, orange peel

The occasion: Jenn agreed to show me around Nashville some more, while the men went to watch the qualification races for the next day’s Music City Grand Prix. Although the afternoon was very hot, Jenn and I ducked into the air-conditioned shops of the charming 12 South neighborhood, where I found some fun souvenirs for myself. We then had a tasty lunch (green salad with goat cheese, dried apricots, almonds, and fig vinaigrette) followed by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. Jenn later drove us to a favorite brewery in her neighborhood. I am tickled that she didn’t mind spending so much time with me!

My rating: *** out of 5. The cocktail was fine, and the bourbon was a quality one, but I was disappointed, since I was hoping for a creative, more “ethnic” spin on this drink, since we were at a Lebanese restaurant. I did catch a few small bursts of cinnamon as the end note of my initial sips, but I wanted a more steady flavor of cinnamon, perhaps, or maybe of vanilla, as stated on the menu.

Final thoughts: Although 12 South is full of tourists, the neighborhood is cute and worthy of inclusion in every single issue of Southern Living magazine.

Enjoyed: Thursday, August 5, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Classic Old Fashioned

Ingredients: 2 ounces Corsair Triple Smoke American Single Malt Whiskey, 1/4 ounce demerara sugar, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 2 dashes Regan’s orange bitters, one large ice cube, orange peel

The occasion: Oldest Son is now living and working in Nashville. Corsair is his favorite local producer of spirits, so naturally he drove us to the taproom, located in the old Marathon automobile factory. Husband especially enjoyed the historic and industrial atmosphere.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The bartender offered me the exact recipe that he used to make the cocktail, and explained that the whiskey is pot-distilled in small batches with three individually smoked malts (they use cherrywood from Wisconsin, beechwood from Germany, and peat from Scotland). The smokiness was pleasing, but not overwhelming, and rich cherry flavors still came through. My first smell and first sip reminded me of an Islay scotch. And the glass (yes, a real glass!) was way cool.

Final thoughts: Oldest Son is a wise man who knows his whiskey and knows how to please his parents.

Enjoyed: Thursday, August 5, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Man in Black, the closest cocktail to an Old Fashioned that I found on the bar menu

Ingredients: Jack Daniel’s, Jack Daniel’s Honey, Simple Syrup, Lemonade, Club Soda

The occasion: This was our first full day in Nashville, and our first trip to Lower Broadway, which is full of honky-tonks with live country music. We decided on this bar, adjacent to the Johnny Cash Museum, in hopes of hearing more “classic” country music, and indeed, the band there was playing covers that we recognized, such as music by the Charlie Daniels Band.

My rating: ** out of 5. Admittedly, this drink was not labeled as an Old Fashioned per se, but the basics were there, namely whiskey, sweetness, and citrus. We sat at the bar, indoors, but the drink was served in a plastic cup anyhow. (I suspect this is standard practice in a honky-tonk.) The drink wasn’t unpleasant, but it lacked subtlety. This was a guzzle-it-fast-and-get-drunk-quick type of drink. (Again, I suspect this is standard practice in a honky-tonk.)

Final thoughts: What would Johnny drink? This Man in Black cocktail was definitely much too weak for my tastes, and I wonder if Johnny would approve of its name. Maybe I should have ordered a straight shot of whiskey, because it burns, burns, burns…

Enjoyed: Sunday, July 11, 2021

Listed on the menu: Yes, as Seasonal Old Fashioned.

Ingredients: Ragged Branch Wheated Bourbon, hibiscus and orange blossom syrup, tart cherry lime bitters, and a lime zest.

The occasion: A casual celebration of the retirement of our friend, MC.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The tart bitters played well with the syrup and added interest to an already superior bourbon.

Final thoughts: This IS a whiskey distillery, after all, and the master distiller at Ragged Branch once served in the same capacity at Maker’s Mark (love that distillery! great memories!), so anything less than a well-thought-out Old Fashioned would have been disappointing. And the mountain views from the terrace of Ragged Branch can’t be beat!

Throwback to April 2, 2015

1. “Did you put my wet clothes in the dryer?”

2. Music coming from his room at 2 AM.

3. His alarm going off before mine, especially on mornings right after I still heard music at 2 AM.

3. “Have you seen my iPod?”

4. “Have you seen my sunglasses?”

5. “Does this shirt look too wrinkled to wear?”

6. “My car is almost out of gas.”

7. “What’s a good synonym to use here?”

8. “How do you cite this in MLA format?”

9. “No, I definitely don’t want to go to prom. I think.”

10. “I know this tea is your favorite, but can I have the last bottle for my lunch?”

11. “Did you put my dry clothes in my room?”

12. “Will you proofread this 12 page paper?”

13. “Yeah, I know it’s 2 AM, but will you look at the final slide of my Powerpoint?”

14. The shower running at 2:10 AM.

15. “No, I haven’t decided on a college yet, but I have it narrowed down to 3. I think.”

1. Everyone on the plane gets a FULL can of their own, individual soft drink. Were any of us ever really satisfied with one half-filled plastic glass of Diet Coke?
2. Hotels have less decorative bedding. Although the bolsters, throw pillows and bed scarves may have looked attractive, I always struggled with where to put them once I turned down the bed…and whether they were clean enough to use.
3. People are still–perhaps subconsciously–keeping physically distant from one another when approaching displays in museums and visitor centers. This is making us all more polite and more patient.
4. The aforementioned museums and visitor centers, especially ones administered by federal or state agencies, all display signs stating that mask wearing is no longer required for the fully vaccinated. So when I look around and see almost none of my fellow tourists wearing a mask, I internally rejoice that oh-so-many of us believe in science and have indeed been vaccinated! Wow! So many people in compliance!
5. Being able to travel again has made me mellow, so I tamp down the righteous indignation that wants to erupt in me, because I know that many of the people I mention in #4 are probably less than truthful about their vaccine status, but I choose to be blissfully optimistic.
6. Many young kids are wearing masks (way to go, responsible parents!), which muffle the sounds of whining and hide drool and runny noses.
7. More people are actually washing their hands when done using the restroom.
8. Many restaurants still have their tables spaced further apart, which allows for more intimate dining experiences and fewer opportunities for others to eavesdrop on my snide remarks. (See #4, for example.)
9. More people than ever are enjoying the great outdoors, and specifically our beautiful national and state parks.

Enjoyed: Sunday, July 4, 2021

Listed on the menu: No menu. RM has a well-stocked bar, which includes a beautifully-displayed collection of fine whiskies from around the world, so he offered us a range of options.

Ingredients: Homemade Luxardo cherry and juice muddled with a sugar cube drenched with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters, Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon, and ice.

The occasion: A casual supper to celebrate Independence Day.

My rating: **** out of 5. The extra dose of cherry juice made the drink pleasantly sweet, and the quality bourbon made it smooth.

Final thoughts: This was the first time since the pandemic that Husband and I ate indoors at a non-family-member’s home. How refreshing it was! Our hosts, SM and RM, are very hospitable and listened graciously to all our (long) vacation stories. They are fabulous human beings. A toast to enduring friendships!