Old Fashioned at Matador Cantina

Flickr user hellabella

​While the Matador bar staff is known for alchemizing quirky margarita drinks which infuse jalapeno and mango, these  blokes are quite capable of mixing up cocktails more subtle and refined in nature.

Consider their old-fashioned, a bourbon-based drink mixed with muddled sugar, aromatic bitters and a slice of orange (some places use lemon) served on the rocks. Order this one at many bars and you're apt to get one of two things: a blank stare or a membership card to the diabetes club. Inexperienced bar staff have a tendency to mix a drink more suitable for trick or treaters than cocktail connoisseurs. And this is where the Matador gets it right. They use the bitters and sugar to accent and compliment, rather than overpower the flavor of the whiskey. What you get is a  drink with a set of teeth and a soft bite made for sipping.

Matador Cantina, 111 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 871-8226; www.thematador.com.