Whisky Cocktails: The Old-Fashioned By Aubrey Sim

Many whisky purists (I am like this at times) always insist that their whisky be taken neat or with a splash of water. True, if you want to enjoy whisky for what it is, there is merit in the argument that it should be drank without anything mixed in. However, that takes away far too much from the joys of a good whisky cocktail. Ideal for those who want to enjoy the flavours of the whisky without too much of the alcoholic kick, a cocktail is as good a way to introduce one to the world of whisky than any. In this new segment, SGwhisky scours Singapore's top whisky and bar scene for the best bartenders and mixologists in town, and ask them to make their versions of their favourite whisky cocktails. To make things better, the full recipe will be revealed too so that you viewers at home can try your hand at a great cocktail!

So to kick off this Inaugural post of the Whisky Cocktails segment, SGwhisky is proud to present Singapore's best bartender in 2009 and the current mixologist at 'Basement 28', the lovely Ms. Aubrey Sim.

Cocktail: The Old Fashioned
Mixologist: Aubrey Sim
Bar: 'Basement 28'


Ingredients:
4 Oz (Around 55ml) Good Bourbon (Maker's Mark in this case)
Dash of Orange Bitters
1 Sugar Cube
Orange Peel
Ice

How to Make:
Put sugar cube on tea towel/serviette and coat with orange bitters
Place Bourbon in glass with 1 cube of ice
Slowly melt sugar cube in bourbon
Place 2 more cubes of ice
Coat the rim of glass with oil from orange peel
Place orange peel into glass and serve

After trying the cocktail, SGwhisky caught up with Aubrey and asked her a few questions:

What do you like about this particular cocktail?
What's great about this cocktail is that you can make it to your specifications, using any bourbon, dark rum, scotch, cognac, or even an aged tequila.
You can also mix and match flavours with the different types of bitters as well. Ultimately it is close to drinking your favourite dark spirit on the rocks.

What other whisky cocktails are available at the bar?
Whisky Sours and the Manhattan. The Manhattan especially is a cocktail which you can enjoy in an underground, cool bar like this rather than a roof top bar or an open-air bar

What is your favourite whisky?
I don't have one yet!

What is your favourite cocktail in the bar?
I like the Caipirinha and the Pegu Club. As you can see, both contain a good amount of citrus. This follows my flavour preference, which is a mix of sweet and sour.

What do you think is the most crucial trait for a bartender to have?
Discipline. Taking the extra effort to put fresh stuff and good quality ingredients together in a cocktail means the quality adds up.

Aubrey is the mixologist at the newly-opened 'Basement 28' at Ann Siang Hill. The bar has a great selection of over 30 cocktails, with 12 being specialty whisky cocktails.