Old Fashioned co*cktail Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What was in the original Old Fashioned? ›

The most popular of the in-vogue "old-fashioned" co*cktails were made with whiskey, according to a Chicago barman, quoted in the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1882, with rye being more popular than Bourbon. The recipe he describes is a similar combination of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar of seventy-six years earlier.

The classic way to make an Old Fashioned starts with placing a sugar cube at the bottom of a glass, adding a few dashes of bitters and a splash of water and muddling until it's completely dissolved. This is still a great option, but many people use simple syrup for ease and convenience.

Almost all the classic drinks you know and love, from the Daiquiri to the Gimlet or the Margarita come down to the same basic ratio: 2:1:1. That's two parts spirit, one part sweet, and one part sour, commonly known as the Golden Ratio.

Made with just four ingredients—whiskey, sugar, Angostura bitters, and an optional (but recommended) orange peel or Luxardo cherry garnish—the Old Fashioned is up there with other co*cktail greats like the Manhattan, Negroni, and Sazerac.

Angostura makes perhaps the most ubiquitous bitters bottles out there, one that you'll see in nearly every bar - and one that you should have in your co*cktail arsenal at home. This reddish-brown bitters provides a fragrant bouquet of fruits and spices, and it's an essential ingredient for any classic Old Fashioned.

Not Too Much Bitters

Made by concentrating the flavors of spices and bitter tree bark in alcohol, bitters are a classic co*cktail ingredient and necessary for a good Old Fashioned. A little goes a long way. Add 2-3 drops and your Old Fashioned will have much more depth and complexity.

The best old fashioned recipes call for sugar to balance the alcohol. I use simple syrup, which quickly dissolves and is simple to make. It also allows us to play around and use brown sugar instead of white sugar for the syrup, giving our co*cktail a caramel-like flavor that works well with whiskey or rum.

How to Make an Old Fashioned with Honey. Add the bitters, your choice of whiskey, and honey into a co*cktail shaker with ice. Stir well. No shaking needed!

Simonson says, “During Prohibition, that simple [Old-Fashioned] formula evolved into a fruity concoction of muddled orange and cherry that reigned for decades to come. “Some theorize the fruit was used to mask the bad taste of the whiskey used during that time.

What was the original co*cktail? ›

Accounts differ, but most experts agree that the first co*cktail was the Sazerac, a blend of whisky, absinthe, bitters and sugar. Created in New Orleans in the mid-1800s, this is one of the first co*cktails recognisable by name and remains a favourite to this day.

Traditional is something that has been done a certain way for a long time. People do it over and over. For example, it is traditional to put a Christmas tree in our homes during December. Old-fashioned is something that used to be done a long time ago, but people don't do it anymore. For example, it is old-fashioned to ...

Both co*cktails call for whisky and Angostura bitters, but the defining factor lies in their sweetening agents. The Old Fashioned opts for straightforward sugar or syrup, helping to soften the whisky. In contrast the Manhattan favours a sweet vermouth – adding fruity and caramel flavours into the mix.