A little Old Fashioned?

The Old Fashioned, with recent claims to fame including featuring in most episodes of Mad Men, is said to be the original cocktail, dating back to the 18th century. Its beauty, as with most beautiful things, is in its variety. No two are alike, and the suspense is part of the draw.

The variation in taste is due to the number of preparation methods, and even recipes.
The whiskey used can be Scotch, Bourbon or Rye. A sugar cube may be involved, or syrup instead.
Traditionalists incorporate a maraschino cherry, while most modern bars leave it out, as is the case with the lemon peel.

Equally, the order of ingredients, the stirring periods between each addition, and the amount of ice, whiskey and bitters used will all depend on the bar at which you are sat.

The name 'Old Fashioned' then, seems redundant as a reference to a single cocktail. Maybe.
Nevertheless, you will find the 'Old Fashioned' on the menu of any good bar, and most others will make one on request.

The longer the wait, the better the taste. A rushed 'Old Fashioned' is a 'Young Fashioned', as unmixed and immature as a University fresher, and equally annoying.

£8 is typical for an Old Fashioned in Manchester, although paying a little more in southern bars is to be expected. That said, there is no reason not to try a cheaper one.

Although  my advice would be to drink them wherever you can, below I have listed my 4 Manchester favourites. I am not paid by these places (not even in drinks) so my recommendations are wholehearted and wholly sincere.

The Grill on New York Street

Cloud 23

All Star Lanes

(My all time favourite) Rosso

Happy drinking.

On Victory In Japan Day

The words of Rudyard Kiplng ring clear and crisp as they capture perfectly the feelings of soldiers who returned from the east, met by a Europe recovering from the war that happened there, where few understood the plight of the 'Forgotten Army'.

Performed by Charles Dance OBE, Kipling's Mandalay was received in awe as they were cast like doves of peace across Horse Guards Parade and beyond.

For ever writer the dream is to pen words that read like punches, planting listeners in their seats, so moved that they cannot. Kipling's words and Dance's voice did just this.

The importance of such works go beyond inflation of a writer's ego though, and even beyond the use as commemorative pieces too.

A great issue post-war, as prevalent today as 70 years ago, is that the psychological battle that each soldier undertakes for years after conflict has ended is one all too often fought alone. In so compellingly expressing the hurt of thousands of soldiers who feel unable to speak for themselves, Kipling, today as in the many years past, encourages conversation, the sharing of experiences and memories of that harrowing time, helping them to open up about the traumas of the past.

It is the burden and the privilege of writers worldwide to translate the passions and the pains of humankind, in order that we can all come to understand share our feelings.

What better reminder is there of this responsibility than in Kipling's example?
Below I have included the reading of Mandalay by Charles Dance.

So, 70 years since the end of World War Two, and on the anniversary of Japan's surrender which meant that the thousands of troops in that region could return home, let us all be thankful for the predominant peace we inherit, and remember that we must strive for it absolutely.

I only hope that if I am lucky enough to share the burden, of a writer entasked with bringing the extremes of emotion to bear, then I may do so in more fortunate circumstances than Kipling had to.