An Old Fashioned relative, the Fancy Free eschews bourbon for rye, plain syrup for maraschino liqueur, and adds another dash of bitters. The result is a drier, earthier Old Fashioned that really drives home where rye can shine. The fruitiness and ease of construction means this drink can easily work as a regular staple in your home bar.
Fancy Free
The Fancy Free manages to delivery the spicy cherry punch of maraschino with an amplified kick of rye spice and bitters. The result is a sweet and balanced drink that explodes with notes of spice, herbs, cherries, oranges, touches of oak. The finish is equally balanced, leaning heavily into orange and spice, with in this case, a little bit of vanilla from the Dickel Rye.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
This one was a stunner of a good time. While I typically go for old fashioned riffs, this one works particularly well with some of the minerality of something like Dickel against the sweet fruitiness of the maraschino.
- Rye – We Dickel Rye here, and it was eye opening to what it can be in the right cocktail. The minerally just works in a beautiful way that balances the drink, especially the citrus elements. We recommend using a rye here that is a little more fruit, spice, or minerality forward, like Wild Turkey 101 Rye or Sazerac. For something more familiar, try Rittenhouse.
- Maraschino Liqueur – Not to be confused with the liquid that maraschino cherries are packed in. This syrup would result in a rich and strand drink. Instead we recommend using the class Luxardo Maraschino liqueur (which comes in the straw packaging).
- Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters and add a nice spice.
- Orange Bitters – We used Regan’s for the extra cardamom spice that bounce off the rye spices and cherry sweetness.
- Orange Twist – The fresh orange oils are absolutely critical here. Express the orange to bring out the full spice and orange notes.
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