If the double meaning of “an old fashioned life” isn’t clear, allow me to spell it out. While my thinking is quite progressive–I’m a queer person living in Brooklyn, after all–my behavior and hobbies can sometimes be out-of-sync with the times. From making preserves in the summertime to re-wiring a lamp when it stops working; even my writing style was once described as “folksy”–a grammarian would shit a brick over my punctuation.

But of course there’s another old fashioned. Hands down my favorite cocktail is The Old Fashioned. I make it for myself regularly, and I’m so particular about how it’s prepared that there’s literally only one restaurant I’ve ever ordered it out: the now-closed Maysville, from where I lifted this method.

In the bottom of an old fashioned glass, naturally, generously douse 1 cane sugar cube with Angostura bitters. My personal preference is to soak the cube; I like it a little bitter.

Using a muddler, give the sugar cube a good whack to break it apart, then gently muddle 1 orange peel, about an inch wide–peel side down–into the sugar. Do this for a good minute or more. This does several things: it releases the citrus oils from the zest; it candies your orange peel, making it a nice treat when the drink is finished; and it prepares what is essentially a syrup without water. Try not to muddle too hard; you want to release the oils without macerating the peel.

Add 2 ounces bourbon, then spill a little more in the glass, and a large ice cube. Stir using a cocktail stirrer: 50 spins in one direction, then 50 spins in the opposite direction.

Serve immediately in the glass in which it was prepared.