Drink This Cocktail: The Antique Garage Old Fashioned

“What would you give a distraught couple?” “Probably the check.”

by Jeremy Glass

Rachel

Antique Garage
41 Mercer Street
New York

What did you just place in front of me?
This is our take on the classic Old Fashioned. It’s made with Hudson Valley Rye from Hudson Valley Distillery. The rye is special because it is brewed in small batches. They’re the first distillery in about seventy years — maybe since Prohibition — that brews rye this way.

What kind of person drinks this?
Well, it’s a bit of a strong drink. I think, for the most part, men like this drink more than women do. But it’s delicious. If you don’t like sweet cocktails, I recommend this or a Manhattan.

So there are definitely drinks out there that call for a certain level of toughness. 
Of course!

What kind of drink are you?
I would drink this or bourbon. I'm not for sweet cocktails.

Is this bar a hot spot for couples?
Our restaurant is really romantic. We have live music several nights a week, and it’s cozy. We have a lot of date-night folks. 

Is there a good drink for fighting couples? What would you give a distraught couple?
Probably the check. Usually by that point, if it’s gone that far, I’m staying out of it. 

If I wanted to impress a girl, what kind of drink should I stash in my room?
It depends on her personality. If it were me and we just had a bottle of Jameson, I’d be happy. If you’re stocking your bar at home, it depends on what you like to drink, it depends on what your friends like to drink, it depends on what the woman you’re interested in is drinking. But I think you really just need to have a nice middle-of-the-road red wine or white, or a bottle of bourbon, a bottle of Hendricks, and some mixers. Oh, and you’ve got to have vodka. 

What’s your drink dealbreaker? 
If someone orders my drink for me — without knowing what I like or what I want — that might be the dealbreaker.

What won’t you drink?
I don’t drink Jagermeister. I don’t drink anything with Red Bull. For the most part, I stay away from really sweet mixed cocktails. If I go out, I’ll try the specialty cocktails or I’ll share one with someone, just to have the flavor and get the taste. If I’m sitting down to have many drinks, then I’m definitely having either simple vodka drinks or bourbon. 

After a long shift, how do you relax?
I drink.

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The Antique Garage Old Fashioned
Fill an old-fashioned (or "lowball") glass three-fourths of the way with ice
Add 1-2 dashes house-made bitters (sub Angostura at home), and 1-2 dashes orange bitters (sub Fee Brothers at home)
Add 2.5 oz of Hudson Valley Rye
Add simple syrup to taste
Garnish with maraschino cherry and toasted orange twist
 

 

 

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