Old-Fashioned
When it comes to cocktails, there are few more traditional than the Old-Fashioned. Whether you’re at a fancy upscale bar or the most humble tavern, there’s likely to be someone sipping on this classic drink.
I read somewhere that the Old-Fashioned is at once “the manliest cocktail order” and “something your grandmother drank,” and between those poles we have come across countless simple delights, evolutionary wonders, and captivating abominations. In fact, Old-Fashioned is so popular that it’s one of the most Googled cocktail recipes and the most ordered drink in the United States. That’s right folks! The country we are featuring this time is the land of the free and the home of the brave — the United States of America.
Timeline of the Old Fashioned
The history of this iconic American classic is a lengthy and storied one. The origins of this cocktail go back so far that even in the 17th century people were calling it “Old-Fashioned”. Trust me, its been around a lot longer than Mad Men Don Draper’s 60s.
The Original
The original drink was aptly named the Old-Fashioned Style Whiskey Cocktail for its simplicity and commonality up until the late 1800s. It was so simple in fact that it became more of a style of drink than a specific recipe. The name was inspired by the many drinkers who refused to change with the times and ordered their drinks the old fashioned way — a brown spirit, sugar, water and bitters. The recipe back then consisted of something strikingly similar to what we enjoy today. A sugar cube generously wetted with bitters and joined by several blocks of ice. The glass is then warmed by a couple ounces of American whiskey
The Dark Ages
After prohibition, our old pal the Old-Fashioned went through a prolonged awkward phase. After the bars reopened, bartenders began altering the classic recipe. They added powdered sugar, soda water and a muddled blend of oranges, cherries and pineapple. This newly popular drink under the same name enraged purists. It created such a ruckus that in 1936, a grouchy old New Yorker cranked out a letter to the editor of the The New York Times. He signed the letter, “Old Timer” and went on the improper mixing of drinks and the violence Prohibition had done to the old-fashioned whiskey cocktail.
In his grumping, “Old Timer” roughly described the two main approaches to this uniquely venerable beverage. The austere former — its liquor merely sweetened and seasoned, not even tarted up with a citrus twist is hard-core originalist. The sympathetic bartender would pass the seasoned glass with a lump of ice to the client with a bottle of good bourbon, from which said client was privileged to pour his own drink. That's right, he was handed the whole goddamn bottle. The price was 15 cents or two for a quarter.
The fancy latter points to the opposite extreme, where the bartender muddles a whole Carmen Miranda headdress and the squirt of carbonated water becomes a long spritz of Sprite. The bartender then proceeds to build up a fruit compote of orange, lemon, pineapple and cherry, and himself pours in a carefully measured ounce and a half of bar whisky, usually a blend…can you believe the audacity? The price, 35 to 50 cents. Desecration and extortion! The letter went viral…whatever that means in 1936.
The Comeback
At the turn of the 21st century a general Mad Men effect on the public started to take hold. Americans began to care about cocktails again and sounding like Don Draper. This cocktail renaissance inspired a look back to the history of many classic cocktail recipes and none had more of a resurgence than our dear friend the Old-Fashioned. For the first time since prohibition, quality in cocktail became paramount and the true essence of the Whiskey Cocktail in the Old-Fashioned was restored.
Bourbon vs Rye?
Both rye and bourbon are suitable base spirits and they offer different flavor profiles.
Bourbon is slightly sweeter and gives a roundness of character. If you opt for bourbon, add a a healthy number of dashes of bitters which adds spice and edge to the otherwise softer profile of the bourbon.
Rye introduces a peppery bite and makes for a dryer drink. If you opt for rye instead, add an extra bar spoon of sugar or simple syrup for balance.
After having done some extensive research and tasting, these are the following bourbons and ryes we recommend.
Bourbon
Rye
Bottom line — Use the whiskey you like best since the cocktail is mostly whiskey. Just make sure to go for something high in proof (over 100) as this extra alcohol will stand up to the dilution from melting ice.
If you have a personal favorite, we would love to hear it from you. Be sure to leave a comment under this post on our Instagram and share your favorite whiskey and/or your Old-Fashioned recipe with us!
Personal Tidbits
We have showcased food from Bangladesh—our country of ethnicity, Canada—my nationality and Thailand—my favorite cuisine. Now it’s time for the USA to shine, which also happens to be my husband’s nationality and country of birth. Although this food blog and culinary journey around the world has been a personal passion project in the making over the last few years, my husband has been a huge part of this endeavor. From giving me the courage to make this happen, constantly cheering me on to being the man behind all these beautiful photos. I call him the co-creator but he likes to joke around saying “I own 80% while he owns a mere 20%”. Sure, honey!
This time the roles were reversed and I got to play the woman behind the camera while he was my dapper hand model. Our old pal Old-Fashioned also happens to be my husband’s favorite drink. And what better timing to showcase all the American classic food and drinks with holidays right around the corner. I mean, there’s no wrong time of the year to drink the great American Old-Fashioned. June, July, August — even the dog days of summer can’t scare us away from one of the world's finest cocktails. That said, fall might very well be the best time to sip this classic concoction. The autumnal flavors in play just seem to fit nicely with apple harvest, longer nights, and a fire crackling in the hearth.
Are y’all ready for the recipe?
Recipe: The Classic Old Fashioned
Serves: 1
• Turbinado Sugar - 1 Tsp, that’s just the fancy name for natural brown sugar
• Angostura Bitters - 2-6 dashes
• Water - 1-2 tsp, optional
• Ice - 1 giant cube or sphere
• Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey - 2 oz.
In an old fashioned or short rocks glass, add sugar, bitters and couple teaspoon of water. Muddle with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Add bourbon and one large ice cube or sphere and stir well.
• Fresh Orange Peel Oil
• Rosemary + Orange Peel - for garnish
Twist the citrus peel to release the oils and run it around the rim of the glass, then drop it into the cocktail. Rosemary sprigs was added purely for aesthetic purpose but they are festive for this time of the year and bring a slight aroma. It has a pretty strong scent, so when you inhale as you take a sip, the smell of the rosemary will affect how your tastebuds perceive the drink.
A few other tips & tricks
Use a proper glass — You need a sturdy Old Fashioned or rocks glass. You have to build the drink in the glass and need a really strong bottom because you’re muddling the sugar with bitters.
Muddle well — Add a few teaspoons of water if you don’t have soda water. The bitters alone aren’t enough to dissolve the sugar. But only a teeny tiny splash of water, you want to wet the sugar, not drown it.
Use a big ice cube or sphere — Add one large rock to the drink. It will chill the cocktail without watering it down too quickly.
Garnish is NOT optional — Garnish choices can make or break an Old-Fashioned. This is all personal preferences but according to experts, sweet garnishes like Maraschino cherry, can quickly overpower the cocktail, throwing off its balance. Instead, top the drink with citrus. A lemon-orange twist will elevate the cocktail, scenting the drink without overwhelming the palate.
Flaming orange peel — This is a guaranteed head-turner but beyond the theater, adding fire to an orange peel can contribute enormously to the aromatic properties of the cocktail, which in turn affects the flavor of the drink. If you dare to try this, here is what you will have to do. Hold the flame near the drink’s surface. With the skin side of the orange facing toward the flame, quickly press your thumb and index fingers toward each other. The citrus oils from the orange will be expelled, ignited, and land in the drink.
Can I make this without Alcohol?
Lol, absolutely not. I mean there is such a thing called non-alcoholic old fashioned and it looks extremely complicated with a lot of hard to find ingredients. I guess if you are bold enough, give it a try!
