ONE18 EMPIRE adds flights to Old Fashioned Central
ONE18 EMPIRE is adding something new to its Old Fashioned Central. Now guests have the option of ordering a flight of Old Fashioneds for a chance to try different flavor profiles side by side.
Old Fashioned Central has always offered the opportunity to experience a customized Old Fashioned crafted by ONE18 Empire’s expert mixologists. With the new flights, instead of one 2 oz. cocktail, guests can get three 1 oz. cocktails, each with a different taste twist.
For the flights, guests can customize one element — whiskey, bitters, sugar or smoke — to make each sample different.
Along with the pure enjoyment of a well-crafted classic cocktail, the new flights offer a chance for guests to “experiment and learn how each element contributes to the overall drink,” said Kai Hochhausen, ONE18 EMPIRE general manager. It’s all part of ONE18 EMPIRE’s mission to educate guests about the world of whiskey.
The foundation of the Old Fashioned is bourbon, and Old Fashioned Central guests can choose from house selections, including Kentucky bourbons Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit or Old Grand-Dad. They can also keep it local with Alberta Premium’s Dark Horse Canadian rye whiskey, distilled in Calgary.
From the premium whiskey list, guests have a choice of selections such as Woodford Reserve, Booker’s, Jim Beam Signature, Blanton’s Gold, Maker’s 46 or Eagle Rare.
Bitters are another element of the Old Fashioned, and ONE18 Empire offers 12 different choices, ranging from black walnut to molasses, cardamom, chocolate, rhubarb, Arabica coffee, whiskey barrel and more.
A bit of sweetness balances out the drink, and Old Fashioned Central guests can select raw sugar, maple syrup or vanilla-chili sugars.
Each Old Fashioned Central glass is also flavoured with smoke from a selection of different types of wood. Guests can choose from stampede hickory, sweet cherry, American oak, Canadian maple or classic walnut — each with its own unique fragrance.
“The smoke really affects the aroma of the drink,” said Hochhausen. “And that, in turn, enhances the experience in a powerful way because our sense of taste is so tied to our sense of smell.”
ONE18 EMPIRE’s Old Fashioned flights are available anytime, including during happy hour, when guests can also get half-priced Honey Bourbon Wings, $5 wine on tap and a daily featured cocktail for half price. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Want to give the gift of Old Fashioneds? ONE18 EMPIRE now offers gift cards. They’re available in any denomination and good for any purchase of any food or drink. You can get them on location at ONE18 EMPIRE.
