Old Fashioned Muskie Memories

Growing up, I spent a great deal of time camping and fishing with friends and family. Those days greatly contributed to making me a lifelong, passionate angler. I carry those fond memories with me wherever I go and consider them to be some of the best times in my life.

I was young, but during a family camping trip to a nearby lake I remember the adults gathering around a campfire, laughing and enjoying beverages from a tin cup. During an afternoon on that trip, I spotted my dad and his friends launching a canoe in an attempt to catch a muskie from the small, southern Wisconsin lake.

At one point, I looked out and noticed a bit of a commotion in the canoe. There was some shouting and it appeared as though the boat was being towed around the lake by a large fish. Eventually, they sailed out of sight as they tried to corral the monster they had set out to catch.

When they finally got back to camp, Kevin, one of my dad’s friends, had his hand all wrapped up in bloody gauze. And a giant muskie was tethered to the beached canoe. They were indeed victorious.

From what I could gather, the three friends didn’t have a net to properly land the fish. Rather, Kevin just shoved his hand through the fish’s gill and laced his fingers open after raking against the muskie’s sharp teeth and flopping the fish in the bottom of the canoe. It seemed huge in my memory, and maybe it was. It’s one of the reasons that I became a muskie fanatic later in life.

That night, from behind the screen in the tent where I was supposed to be sleeping, I watched as the adults celebrated the catch, cut oranges and lemons, poured brown liquid into a jar that was then shaken vigorously. The contents were then poured into tin cups.

I recall it plain as day, but it wasn’t until I became an adult that I really understood what was going on.

I’ve since learned the drink of choice that night were whiskey sours and Old Fashions. As I reached adulthood, it became one of my go-to mixed drinks during post fishing trip celebrations.

Above all, the memories of my parents and their friends hanging out around the fire and sharing a good laugh stayed with me, and I yearned to create my own special moments.

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And we still do today, often.

Here’s how I create my own version of the drink, utilizing my Stanley Adventure Cocktail Shaker Set and drinkware to make sure my friends and I have a good time.

Below are recipes for two of my favorite libations: An Old Fashioned and a Whiskey Sour – and the best Stanley gear to create them with.

Whiskey Sour:

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
• 3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed and strained lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 2 shakes bitters
• 3/4 ounce egg white

Directions:

Shaken Old Fashioned:

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
• 3 dashes bitters
• 1 Tsp fresh-squeezed and strained orange juice

Directions:

Enjoy!