The Old Fashioned – The Original Cocktail
The old fashioned is the original cocktail. It gets its name from the simple fact that it was one of the very first cocktails ever made. It began with a very simple recipe of whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water. Over the past century, it has evolved and taken on numerous iterations and variations.
The history of the old fashioned is debated throughout the country. No one really knows when it was created or who made it first. Cocktail historians tend to agree that it first came to life as the “whiskey cocktail” as far back as 1806. Over the years, the whiskey cocktail was transformed into all sorts of various strange concoctions, including adding things like absinthe, brandy, curacao, and other flavors as bartenders tried to set themselves apart. This caused traditional consumers to begin ordering it as the “old fashioned whiskey cocktail”. These old-fashioned drinkers simply wanted the original recipe.
“New” Old Fashioned?
Fast forward to today, and we are back at a place where bartenders are modifying and elevating the old fashioned into amazing cocktails. However, most still contain the original recipe ingredients with various alterations. I have experienced a ginger old fashioned, tequila old fashioned, brandy old fashioned, various fruit old fashioned cocktails, and all sorts of other aberrations. I have made my own concoctions, including the very original recipe; some good, and some not so good. Regardless, I keep coming back to one old fashioned recipe that first attracted me to this beverage.
My Old Fashioned
I first learned this recipe when visiting New York City. Admittedly, it is a little more complicated than the original old fashioned, but I love the various complementary flavors. It is spirit forward, sweet, fruity, and balanced simultaneously. I have made it with various types and proofs of whiskeys, and they are all delicious. The secret: brown sugar simple syrup. I have included a recipe for this unique syrup on a separate post about how to make your own syrups.
As with any of my recipes, if you like them sweeter, or less sweet, you can adjust the amount of syrup to fit your palate, but for me, this recipe is ideal.
Also, if you have an old fashioned recipe that you like, please share it.
So, let’s make this drink!
Cheers!
Ingredients
Hardware
- Jigger or measuring cup
- Rocks glass
- Muddler
- Bar spoon
- Fruit peeler
- Large ice cube (square or round)
Software
- 3 oz whiskey, rye, or bourbon (any proof)
- ¾ oz brown sugar simple syrup
- 1 oz filtered water
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
- Orange peel twist
- 1 Luxardo, or dark sweet cherry (not those nasty bright, neon red cherries)
- 1 bar spoon of the cherry juice
Special Notes
This drink is made right in the rocks glass.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Add the orange twist and both bitters to the glass. Muddle lightly to express the oils from the orange peel.
Step 2
Add the large ice cube to the glass.
Step 3
Add the whiskey, syrup, water, cherry, and cherry juice to the glass.
Step 4
Stir until chilled.
Step 5
Serve, or drink it yourself.
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