It’s arguable that the Old Fashioned is the most classic of classic cocktails, and I like that argument. In its purest form, it’s made with a sugar cube, bitters and whiskey, a twist of orange peel over the top; somewhere in the depths of Prohibition, actual fruit got added to the mix, most likely to disguise bad booze. But I grew up eating the orange wheel and neon red cherries out of country club whiskey drinks, and sometimes, nostalgia is a more powerful player than elegance.

In this seasonally inspired version, maple syrup takes the place of the sugar that’s usually muddled with orange peel. Grade B syrup has a fuller, less refined maple flavor that really comes through here, and a heavy hand with the bitters adds spice and balance. Make the kids happy and get a big jar of cherries, with stems. That’s a whole conversation in itself.