Introduction

The Old Fashioned cocktail is not some mere drink, it’s a celebration of classy and simple. With decades of acclaim, this enduring cocktail is revered around the world by well heeled cocktail aficionados and remains a staple for bars and homes alike. Whether you’re fresh to the whiskey and cocktails game or a whiskey pro fixie, the Old Fashioned is for you.

Brief History:

There’s nothing old fashioned (pun intended) about the Old Fashioned; it’s one of the oldest known cocktails. Its name comes from the practice of preparing drinks the “old-fashioned” way: It’s a simple mix of spirits, sugar, water and bitters. It first became popular in the mid 1800s before official endorsement occurred when it appeared in cocktail manuals and also became popular at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

The connection to bourbon, however, especially since this is a product of Kentucky roots is the Old Fashioned; it can be made with bourbon but also rye or brandy. It has changed a bit over these years, but mostly as the core of simplicity and charm remains essentially the same.

Ingredients

• Whiskey: Traditionally, it’s bourbon or rye whiskey.
• Sugar: A small amount of simple syrup, or a sugar cube.
• Bitters: The standard being Angostura bitters, you can experiment with other stuff.
• Water: The dilution from a splash, usually ice melting.
• Garnish: A cherry (if you’re in the orange peel, optional but classic) and an orange peel.

Lets Make!

Today we’re making my very most-favorite cocktail in the world, an old fashioned. It’s so simple. And, if you’re wondering why it’s called an old fashioned, here’s the scoop. This was the first type of cocktail developed, alcohol, some bitters, a little sugar, maybe a little water on the side, but it fell out of favor for fancier cocktails in the 1860s.

It came back into favor, and they were like, “I like that drink, the old-fashioned kind,” hence the name old fashioned. Okay, with that history lesson, let’s get started. First off, we’re going to be getting some orange peel, and this is very important. So, just use a sharp knife and we’ll have maybe a couple of inches of it, enough so you can squeeze it like this.

This is going to be the important part. I’m going to cut a few slices because I might have a dud, and nobody wants that. All right, that’s for later. Now fold a few ingredients. One sugar cube, this is important. If you don’t have a sugar cube, its okay, don’t worry about it, you can use like a teaspoon or so of regular sugar.

But the proper way is with a sugar cube. Now we’re going to soak it in bitters. Now, traditionally you could use like angostura, aromatic bitters. You can add some orange bitters in there, there’s a lot of new bitters out there so, and use whatever you love. I’m going to use a combination. Right, soak. Soak that sugar cube in there, and you’re going to muddle it now.

So, take your muddler, crush the sugar, right, now it’s time for the ice. Here we go, one big lump. What do you do now? Add the bourbon. This is the fun part. So, you can measure out if you want. It’s like 2 1/4 ounces, about 1/4 of a cup, and change. Don’t tell anybody our secret. All right, stir it.

And now for the fun part. You’re going to flame your orange peel. This is optional. If you don’t want to do it, you can skip it. So, first off, grab the orange peel between your middle finger and thumb. You’re going to warm it up. The idea is you’re getting all the oils released in there.

So, you’ve got to warm them up first, and now you’re going to hold the peel at a 45-degree angle over the glass, and there you go, flame that peel. Drop it in. You can wrap it around the edge too. Here, I’ll do that again. So, we go, we go.That wasn’t as good as the first one, but you saw the first one.

Now you must wipe the peel around the rim a little bit, drop it in, we’ already did it once, but now it’s time to drink. This is a classic old fashioned. However, for my own personal twist, I have to add one cherry and it’s not a maraschino cherry, it’s a Luxardo cherry.  It’s adding just a little bit of extra sweetness, and the cherry is like the desert at the end of the drink.

It doesn’t make the drink sickly sweet or anything though. Look at that. Yes. Give it one final stir, just to move that cherry stuff around, and you’re done. I hope you enjoy. I know that I will. Yes, a thousand times yes. This is so good! It is my favorite cocktail. However, this is how you should make the cocktail, cherry, and optional.

Tips for the Perfect Old Fashioned

1. Use Quality Whiskey: This is because whiskey is the star ingredient; choose something you want to sip neat.
2. Fresh Ingredients: When making a drink, you should also always use new orange peels and fresh cherries for garnish.
3. Big Ice Cubes: Melted into large ice cubes, this will keep your drink cold but won’t over dilute it.
4. Experiment: The classic recipe is fine, but don’t be afraid to play with flavored bitters or a little maple syrup.

Conclusion:

The Old Fashioned is more than just a drink it’s the personification of streaks of time past. Simple preparation and rich history of this drink is probably the main reason why it survived the test of time. That’s why why not make one yourself. Cheers to tradition, raise your glass to an Old Fashioned tradition and enjoy the charm for which Old Fashioned’s are known.