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Fancy Free
An Old Fashioned variation sweetened with maraschino liqueur instead of simple syrup.
Base spirit
Bourbon
Style
Spirit-forward
Glassware
Rocks glass
Technique
Stir
The Fancy Free keeps the Old Fashioned’s whiskey-and-bitters core but replaces plain sugar with maraschino liqueur. Bourbon remains dominant, while maraschino adds cherry-almond sweetness and orange bitters lift the aroma. Stirred over ice and served on a large cube, it stays dry enough to drink as a spirit-forward cocktail rather than a sweetened whiskey drink. David Embury published the formula in 1948.
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Ingredients
Servings
- • 2 oz bourbon
- • 0.5 oz maraschino liqueur
- • 2 dashes orange bitters
- • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Did you know?
“David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948) records the Fancy Free as an Old Fashioned built with maraschino rather than sugar syrup.”
Source:David Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948)
Bartender's Note
Measure the maraschino carefully; a half-ounce is enough. Express the orange peel over the drink to reinforce the orange bitters.
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How to make the Fancy Free
- 1Add bourbon, maraschino, orange bitters, and Angostura to a mixing glass with ice
- 2Stir until well chilled
- 3Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass
- 4Garnish with an orange twist
