NotesThe renewed appeal of the Old Fashioned comes as no surprise, Knox says. If anything, this most simple of cocktails makes perfect sense in an increasingly Byzantine world. "Cocktails are getting so complicated," he says, with bartenders using smoke guns, centrifuge-separated juices and barrel-aging behind the bar. "Sometimes you need to step back, and just have a simple, strong drink. You can really appreciate something like that." Unfurl