Old Fashioned
The cocktail that started it all.
- Method
- Stirred
- Style
- Classic
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Time
- 5 min
Ingredients
- 60mlBourbonor Rye Whiskey
No Bourbon? Rye Whiskey — drier and spicier — more bite, less of the vanilla sweetness
- 7.5mlDemerara Syruprich, 2:1
No Demerara Syrup? Simple Syrup — clean sweetness with none of the molasses depth — fine in a sour, a real loss in a tiki drink
- 4 dashesAngostura
No Angostura? Old Fashioned Bitters — close to Ango, with the same spicy notes — just not the standard bottle
- Garnish
- Orange twist and a cocktail cherry
Make it well
Stirred, properly.
This one is all spirit so we're
Add the bourbon, syrup and into your with ice
Stir for about 30 seconds or until you see frost/condensation up on the mixing glass
Strain into your drinking glass. Add a large ice cube (or a few depending on what you have)
Garnish with a of orange or skewered with a cocktail cherry
On the palate
On the nose it's sweet and woody with caramel and orange notes. On tasting it's so smooth and relaxing, spicy Rye or punchy Bourbons work well in this one - they stand up to the dilution and syrups. It is 'the' original cocktail for a reason.
Where it came from
The old fashioned is one of, if not the, oldest cocktails. As with most classic cocktails the origin is unclear, so let's not let the truth spoil this story. The first published definition of a cocktail came in 1806 as a 'stimulating' drink comprised of spirit, bitters, sugar and water. It was originally referred to as 'the whiskey cocktail' for several decades. It may have also been a traditional morning drink, to help open your eyes. We do not recommend drinking this in the morning! As other spirits entered existence, the simple whiskey cocktail fell out of fashion. Throughout Prohibition it was mixed with a panoply of fruits, likely to disguise the poor quality spirits circulating illegally at that time. It fell out of fashion again in the 70s and 80s when vodka cocktails were all the rage. Fortunately, the renaissance of cocktails and craft spirits have brought this incredible drink and simple specs back into the limelight.
Keep pouring
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The bartender’s note
One drink, one story, one bottle worth buying.
Thursday evening, so you have time to shop. No more than that.