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Cocktail History
The Old Fashioned is a classic cocktail that was created in the 1800s and was first published in Modern American Drinks: How to Mix & Serve All Kinds of Cups, Cocktails, & Fancy Mixed Drinks by George Kappeler in 1895, making it one of the oldest cocktail recipes still made today. Several variations of the drink exist, but it’s traditionally made with bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar or simple syrup, bitters, and citrus.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. We used Buffalo Trace Distillery Benchmark Bourbon because it has a delicious whiskey spice with notes of caramel, stone fruit, tobacco, oak, and cherries. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Orange Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters.
Orange Peel: This the peel of an orange that has been cut into a strip.
Cherries: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. We used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries because they’re high quality and delicious.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
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Tasting Notes
The Old Fashioned is rich, smooth, and balanced, and one sip feels like you’re loosening your tie after a long day.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.
Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is a classic cocktail that was created in the 1800s and was first published in Modern American Drinks: How to Mix & Serve All Kinds of Cups, Cocktails, & Fancy Mixed Drinks by George Kappeler in 1895, making it one of the oldest cocktail recipes still made today. Several variations of the drink exist, but it’s traditionally made with bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar or simple syrup, bitters, and citrus.
Ingredients
Method
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Add bourbon, Demerara syrup, aromatic bitters, orange bitters, and a clear ice ball to a lowball glass.
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Stir for 30-45 seconds.
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Express orange peel into drink.
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Drop orange peel into glass.
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Garnish with cherries.
