Cocktail – Old Fashioned
Before there were cocktail menus, there was the Old Fashioned — a drink so fundamental it’s practically the blueprint for all cocktails.
Its name comes not from pretension but preservation: a call back to simpler times when a cocktail meant spirit, sugar, bitters, and water. Over the decades, it’s been sipped by Madison Avenue execs, frontier gentlemen, and modern mixologists alike. In the world of whiskey cocktails, it’s the alpha and the evergreen.
Ingredients:
50ml bourbon or rye whisky
1 sugar cube or 10ml sugar syrup
2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
Few dashes water (if using sugar cube)
Preparation:
If using a sugar cube: place it in a rocks glass, add bitters and a splash of water. Muddle until dissolved.
Add whisky and a large ice cube or block. Stir gently to combine and chill.
Express an orange peel over the glass and drop it in.
Optional: garnish with a cocktail cherry (though purists may protest).
Hardware:
Glassware: Rocks (Old Fashioned) glass
Tools: Bar spoon, muddler (if needed)
Flavour Profile & Experience
Tools: Rocks (Old Fashioned) glass, bar spoon, muddler (if needed)
Variations & Modern Twists
Smoky Old Fashioned
Swap bourbon for a bold Islay Scotch and use demerara sugar for a darker, richer version. Optional: smoke the glass with peat chips for theatre.
Orange & Walnut Old Fashioned
Use orange bitters and a walnut liqueur float to introduce a nutty, dessert-like finish — ideal for colder months or as a digestif.
Other riffs might include flavoured syrups (maple, honey, or ginger), barrel-aged versions, or infusions like tea or spice.
What remains: the soul of the drink — spirit, sugar, bitters, balance.
The type of ice you use dramatically affects the drink. Large clear cubes melt slowly, keeping your Old Fashioned colder and less diluted — the hallmark of a well-made version.
The Old Fashioned first appeared in print in 1806, not as a name but as a definition — a “cocktail” being spirit, bitters, sugar, and water. As mixology became more flamboyant in the mid-19th century, traditionalists began asking for their drinks made the “old-fashioned” way, giving this stalwart its enduring name.
Louisville, Kentucky lays claim to the drink’s birthright, especially at the Pendennis Club in the 1880s, though it was already widely consumed across America and parts of Britain. Originally made with bourbon or rye, it was also adapted with brandy or Scotch depending on region and availability.
The Old Fashioned saw a mid-century decline, swamped by sodas and synthetic syrups. But the craft cocktail revival of the 2000s restored it to its rightful place. Today, it’s the ultimate bartender’s signature — simple in composition, complex in expression.
In these recipes we haven’t specified the whisky to use, as you know what you like best, and it also allows you to experiment.
However, if you want a start, a good light, vanilla forward single malt to use would be The Glasgow Distillery’s Original. If you are looking to add some smokey depth, try The English Smokey, or if you want something fruity, try Arran Sherry Cask ‘The Bodega’.
