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An Old Fashioned Approach

Last Episode/ Review: Morning Wood

The Company Story:

Gary’s Premium Cocktails is a Wisconsin based family business. They got their start making a Whiskey, (or Brandy in Wisconsin), Old Fashioned mix.

From their website:

Early in 2001, Gary Ver Voort was frustrated with the lack of consistency in taste when ordering old-fashioned cocktails at bars and restaurants. This frustration inspired him to start developing a recipe that one day would become Gary’s Old Fashioned Mix. After a few test batches, Gary thought he had perfected the old fashioned after getting rave reviews from friends and family. Before too long, Gary was receiving numerous requests to make bottles of the mix for people. Soon he was struggling to keep up with the demand.

https://www.garyspremiumcocktails.com/pages/about-us

A great organic start to a business- solve a problem that exists. From the Old Fashioned, Gary moved into other mixes- most recently, a bloody Mary mix. Let’s dig into it!

What’s on the Outside?

The mix is sold in a traditional glass bottle- not plastic, not a jar- just an, “old fashioned,” bottle. (See what I did there?) I like this packaging because the glass isn’t going to leach into the mix at higher temps and the shape of the bottle is ideal for pouring.

The label also has a traditional style. This isn’t one of those tongue in cheek slick marketing kind of labels. It makes me think of a Wisconsin Supper club.

The mix appears slightly dark with very small particulates evident.

On to the ingredients:

The Taste:

The first taste of the mix reveals a tangy medium thick profile. Aftertastes of vinegar and pickle brine with a little back spice.

Adding Vodka:

As we add vodka those stronger tangy flavors level out revealing more subtle flavors of aromatic bitters, celery salt, and a hint of horseradish. In addition to thinning the consistency to a more drinkable texture, the vodka seems to level the playing field for the ingredients, improving the balance.

The Price!

This detail initially gave me pause. A price point under $4 is almost unheard of in a decent mix. “Gary’s is half the price of Zing Zang and tastes twice as good!” – Lynn Miller

-from the podcast

Summary:

Gary’s is a very traditional Midwest bloody Mary Mix. It won’t knock your socks off but for the price it’s a damned good value. With vodka it’s a pretty drinkable cocktail that holds up after a second glass. We recommend drinking it with a session IPA