One of the most known Classic Cocktails and also often called the Father of Cocktails
In a Glass
Ingredients: Bourbon, Sugar, Bitters
Taste: Spirit Forward
Alc. Strength: approx 30 % – 35 % vol
Garnish: Orangzest
Tools: Mixing glass spoon stainer
Glass: Tumbler
So let’s do the cocktail and let’s meet each other for a Glass
The Recipe
6cl Bourbon or your spirit of choice
0.75cl sugar syrup
2ds Bitters
optional 1 ds orange Bitters or other Bitters of choice
Glass: Tumbler
Ice: Ice Block
Garnish: Orange zest
Method:
Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled tumbler glass over a big Ice Block. Garnish with an orange peel.
The Taste
The Old fashioned is a bold and spirit forward cocktail, really boozy but delicious. How to describe its? It’s all about the Base-spirit, the Spirit should shine through and should be supported by the Bitters and sugar
The History
The Old Fashioned ranks among the oldest cocktails of all; in fact, it represents the very first “cocktail” – at least according to a text published on May 13, 1806, in the American newspaper *The Balance and Columbian Repository*. That text described a cocktail as a beverage consisting of a spirit, sugar, water, and bitters – essentially the foundation of today’s Old Fashioned. Stripped down to its essentials, the Old Fashioned is a combination of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. Bitters also mark the true beginning of the story: around 1690 in England, an apothecary named Richard Stoughton created an elixir intended to be mixed with sweetened wine or a spirit (usually gin or brandy) and sugar to form a medicinal drink. This mixture eventually found its way into British bars. As the concept spread to North America, whiskey – particularly rye whiskey – was increasingly used, gradually giving rise to the “Whiskey Cocktail.” With its growing popularity, bartenders began to modify the Whiskey Cocktail. In 1862, Jerry Thomas published recipes for various cocktail iterations for the first time; alongside the simple “Plain Cocktail”-consisting of whiskey, sugar, water, and bitters – more elaborate versions emerged.
The “Fancy Cocktail” introduced ingredients like Curaçao, followed later by the “Improved Cocktail,” which incorporated liqueurs such as maraschino and absinthe. These new ingredients added complexity to the cocktails, but not every guest desired such intricacy. Consequently, patrons increasingly began ordering an “Old Fashioned” Whiskey Cocktail. However, the Old Fashioned was served differently than the original Whiskey Cocktail: it was served with ice, allowing the drinker to savor the beverage rather than having to down it quickly. It was also common practice to serve the Old Fashioned with a small silver spoon for scooping up any remaining sugar from the glass. Thus, the Old Fashioned was not so much “invented” as it was the product of a decades-long evolution – one that continues to this day. From the cocktail revolution of the 1990s and 2000s right up to the present day, this classic cocktail has continued to evolve – incorporating innovations like fat-washed spirits, specialty bitters, and more – yet the fundamental concept remains unchanged: a good Old Fashioned should highlight the character of the spirit rather than mask it.
It is precisely this simplicity that has made it one of the world’s most significant cocktails for over 200 years.
My Take
6cl of your favorite Spirit
about 0.5cl of sugar Syrup
2-3ds of your favorite Bitters
Glass: Tumbler
Ice: Ice Block
Garnish: Orange zest
I know it might not look like “My Take” is particularly helpful this time, but it really is. To me, the Old Fashioned epitomizes the idea of focusing on the spirit and letting it shine. However, that also means you have to experiment to see what pairs best with a given spirit; even small differences can make a huge impact. You simply have to try things out.
If you like the Old Fashioned, than maybe you have to try:
Sazerac
Rye/Cognac – Absinth – Peychauds Bitters
Hunter Cocktail
Bourbon – Cherry Brandy – Bitters
Toronto
Rye – Fernet
