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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.
Angostura Aromatic Bitters: This is a spirit made with botanicals, herbs, water, and a neutral grain spirit. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters because they’re the go-to aromatic bitters on the market. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the bitters.
Orange Bitters: This is a spirit made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Scrappy’s Bitters Orange Bitters because they offer the classic taste of citrus-flavored bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the 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.
Tasting Notes
The Old Fashioned is rich, smooth, and balanced, and one sip feels like you’re loosening your tie after a long day.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
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.
Add bourbon, Demerara syrup, bitters, and a clear ice ball to a lowball glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Express orange peel into drink.
Drop orange peel into glass.
Garnish with cherries.
Ingredients
Directions
Add bourbon, Demerara syrup, bitters, and a clear ice ball to a lowball glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Express orange peel into drink.
Drop orange peel into glass.
Garnish with cherries.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey, All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters, and All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Whiskey Cocktails
If you like this whiskey-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Stone Fence: A bourbon cocktail made with apple cider, Angostura Aromatic bitters, and mint
Falling Leaves: A rye cocktail made with Amaro Montenegro, toasted fig syrup, chocolate bitters, and an orange slice
Mountain Man: A bourbon cocktail made with lemon juice, peach liqueur, ginger syrup, maple syrup, and candied ginger
Boo Radley: A bourbon cocktail made with Cynar, cherry liqueur, a lemon peel, and an orange peel
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