EAT & DRINK SPECIAL SECTION : EXPANSION | SPICY FOOD | COCKTAILS
Old-Fashioned
MARINE ROOM TAVERN
Known for its whiskey bar vibe , the Marine Room Tavern ’ s top-ordered drink is the Old-Fashioned . Lead mixologist Karl Girolamo believes the reason the bar ’ s Old-Fashioned is so popular is not due just to the simplicity of the ingredients . Instead , he says the feeling you get when you ’ re sipping the cocktail in the dark watering hole is why people consider this a go-to cocktail .
“ With other cocktails , you can find an exact recipe and follow the instructions to make a consistent drink . However , with an Old-Fashioned , it ’ s something that each establishment or even each bartender can make slightly differently ,” Girolamo says .
The Marine Room team uses 5 dashes of Angostura bitters , a half ounce of simple syrup and 2 ounces of the patron ’ s choice of whiskey . After stirring in a mixing glass for about 20 seconds to perfectly chill the cocktail , it ’ s strained over a large ice cube in a glass and garnished with an orange peel and Luxardo maraschino cherries .
“ While keeping the bones of the cocktail intact , there is so much room for variation ,” Girolamo says . “ Different kinds of bitters , the amount of sugar , the type of whiskey — all of it is malleable , which makes the Old-Fashioned such a unique and desirable cocktail .”
HAILLEY HOWARD
62 LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE . COM