The Carte Blanche Old Fashioned

Some of you may be familiar with what is known as airport fiction, books written primarily for men that are as disposable as the latest teen starlet.  The themes are almost always the same: one part MacGuffin, two parts of a femme fatale, and 2 giant brass parts of a protagonist.  Common examples of the perpetrators may include: Tom Clancy, Andy McDermott, Richard Castle (He really is ruggedly handsome), and Jeffery Deaver.

Deaver had the honor of writing one of the latest James Bond novels, Carte Blanche, and took the liberty of concocting a beverage for Bond-a noted bourbon fan in the original books-that was a variant of the excellent Old Fashioned.

Side note: The Old Fashioned is one of the earliest cocktails and primarily consists of whiskey, bitters muddled with sugar, and a citrus rind.  Modern bartenders often put in a garnish cherry in lieu of the rind which is just savagery writ large.

Since we're not savages, but instead fans of delicious flavor, we'll omit the cherry and do things the proper way with:
Bourbon (Rye is also acceptable)
Triple Sec
Sugar
Orange Peel
Bitters
Ice

First, add the sugar to a rocks glass (I find a cube is too mush and prefer just a pinch myself, but this is to taste).  Bourbon is already quite sweet (to me), Rye may take a bit more sugar for some palates.

Add a dash (or seven) of bitters, angostura is commonly used alone but I like to add a little blood orange bitters to the miz as well.  Bitters is not just for cocktails, it can be used in roasts, stir fry (heresy for some), and many other dishes.  Do not be afraid of bitters, cocktails are all about balance: yin vs yang, darkness vs light, Balki vs Larry, sweetness vs bitterness, etc. etc.

Next, remove the peel from an orange.  Sure you could use a knife and cut a twist and be all fancy-like but sometimes you get cut off in traffic on the way home after a long day starring at a screen and like Jack Bauer always told Chloe "THERE IS NO TIME!" (I cheat and use a vegetable peeler).

Dump in the peels and have at the mess with a muddler.  You want to bruise the citrus so that the flavors and oils flow out into the sugar/bitters concoction.  Bitters were originally medicinal, and the art of making tinctures with muddled ingredients saved lives.  Feel that historical connection as you create a drink that preserves your sanity for just one more day. 

Add a half measure of triple sec or Cointreau if you're feeling luxurious, but do note that Cointreau has a much higher proof and drinks made with it can be a bit more potent (I'm not sure if that's a warning or an advisement).

Pour in two measures of the whiskey.

Side note: Often the phrase "finger of whiskey" is mentioned; here I demonstrate the difference between a finger, two fingers, and TWO FINGERS of booze.

Finally, add ice and enjoy.  You can swirl the contents around a bit to get the mix going but do not shake.  Shaking has no place in a drink making, and especially not for martinis despite what THEY want you to think (we can go into that for our next cocktail hour where I'll make the Vesper Martini).

Your body is a temple, and now you can taste the sweetened bourbon and the aromatics sacrifice themselves on the altar of your taste buds so that you can live yet one more day.  Feel your sanity returning to you, your commute home from work forgotten, and you love for life returning, you've been given a Carte Blanche.