
The Picks and Shovels
A bourbon old fashioned with demerara & a thick orange peel — the foundational layer
Agencies are the picks and shovels of the space right now.
Why this cocktail? Howard says agencies are the picks and shovels. This old fashioned is the foundational pour — honest, sturdy, no flourish.
The Story
Givner's framing of the agency business is unsentimental and exactly right: agencies are the picks and shovels of the event economy. This old fashioned is the picks-and-shovels drink — bourbon, demerara, bitters, a thick orange peel. No flourish, no spectacle, just the foundational pour that everything else in the bar is built on. The drink the work gets done with.
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 demerara sugar cube
- 2 dashes Angostura
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Thick orange peel
- Large ice cube
Preparation
- 1.Muddle sugar cube with bitters and a splash of water.
- 2.Add bourbon and a large ice cube.
- 3.Stir 20 seconds.
- 4.Express thick orange peel over the surface and drop in.
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