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| David Shenaut, Director of Operations, in front of the Raven & Rose on Broadway, where the Sim's Old Fashioned is the signature cocktail. |
The Cocktail Hall of Fame
In this time of trial and tribulation, with our world crashing down around us, hopeful about the future but fully aware that our lives will forever be changed, it’s time to recall the good things and the good times...or rather, the best things and the best times.
While I can’t go out and frequent my favorite bars right now, as I am one of those extreme high risk statistics we hear a lot about, I searched through my records and notes to resurrect some of the best cocktails and some of the most creative bartenders I have been fortunate enough to know, with the fond hope of being able to enjoy those cocktails again.
The Best Old Fashioned in Town: Sim’s Old Fashioned at the Raven & Rose
And when the town is Portland, that’s a high bar.. Any really good bartender can make a decent Old Fashioned. Some can create fascinating variations thereof. Tommy Klus, Jordan Felix, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and others, can produce those almost effortlessly.
But if you're looking to experience an utterly classic Old Fashioned that reaches cocktail perfection, you have to go to The Rookery Bar at the Raven & Rose on Broadway, where David Shenaut and crew make the best OF I've had.
The “Sim’s Old Fashioned" is finely balanced, rich and slightly oily on the palate, with profound sweet and leathery Bourbon flavors enhanced by judicious barrel aging, courtesy of a hand-picked barrel of Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 year old.
That rich and luscious bourbon---in a hefty pour---is laced with a concoction that Shenaut uses frequently, a blend of Angostura, Regan’s Orange Bitters, and Fee Brothers Orange Bitters. The final ingredient is a touch of muscovado sugar, a richer, maltier, more aromatic sugar than the standard white or brown more commonly used.
Simple? Marvelously so. And that is a signature of Shenaut whiskey cocktails: don’t get in the way of the whiskey! The bitters and muscovado are there to mellow and enhance the bourbon, to support it as the main player, and to bring aromatics, especially the orange aromatics, into the fold. Poured over a large cube to keep it cold without too much dilution, enhanced with a curl of orange peel, this is a visual and aromatic feast. For maximum enjoyment, sip slowly.
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| Here’s what The Oregonian had to say about the Sim’s in a 2015 article citing Portland’s 21 Essential Cocktails. |
The Sims Old Fashioned at Raven & Rose is a faultless combination of simple---but superb---ingredients perfectly harmonious in the glass. And it’s my favorite Old Fashioned in town.
For the original full review of the Sims Old Fashioned (2018), here’s the link to my blog post.
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