ADVANCED MIXOLOGY
DRINK IN HISTORY
Ol dFashioned
By Nicole DiGiose
The first use of the name “Old Fashioned” was meant for a bourbon whiskey cocktail in the 1880’s that was served at The Pendennis Club, a gentlemen’s club in Louisville, Kentucky. The club is said to be the birthplace of the Old Fashioned, which is possibly the first mixed drink to be called a cocktail. Well before this time, reference to a cocktail was something very similar to the original Old Fashioned recipe. In the early 1800’s, the word “cocktail” was first published and described as “a potent concoction of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar.” The original Old Fashioned was simply a sugar cube muddled with bitters and water, then chilled with ice, mixed with whiskey and garnished with a lemon peel, no fruit. It wasn’t until 1973 that the Old Fashioned appeared with fruit, using orange slices and a maraschino cherry in the recipe. Muddling the fruit, which came into the mix in the twentieth century, softened the Old Fashioned. The fruit was added to mask the taste of the harsh liquor made under prohibition. It became more of a punchy kind of drink, making it a traditional holiday pre-dinner cocktail in many households. Traditionally, it is served in a short, round glass, which is called an Old Fashioned glass, named after the drink. Back in the day, while ordering a drink, the drinker would often say, “gin cocktail, old fashioned style,” substituting the spirit according to preference. The bartender would create the mixture using the classic cocktail ingredients: spirit of choice with sugar, a little bit of water to moisten the sugar cube, and bitters. Some believe that this process is where the name “Old Fashioned” came from, and that the spirit of choice does not matter. There has always been an argument on the correct way to make an Old Fashioned Cocktail, especially when it comes to the fruit. Some say it’s a garnish, others say it’s an ingredient. Others claim the orange must be muddled and the maraschino cherry is just there for looks, while others omit the maraschino cherry altogether. Some believe the original recipe calls for a lemon peel, and others use no fruit at all. Though bourbon whiskey has been said to be the original spirit, it has been substituted with others like gin, rum, brandy, and even scotch. The construction of the Old Fashioned differs significantly. While the general ingredients in the drink are basically the same, spirits, bitters, water, and sugar, the style of the concoction has changed throughout time, depending on personal taste. Not only has whiskey been substituted with different spirits, many modern recipes now finish off an Old Fashioned with club soda. Most bartenders will add fruit, usually an orange slice, and muddle it with sugar before adding the whiskey. Still others stick to the belief that fruit is not part of the Old Fashioned recipe at all. Another common ingredient making a big comeback is rye in place of the bourbon. There are many variations to the Old Fashioned, give this one a mix and taste a true classic.
50 CHILLED MAGAZINE
