Old Fashioned Cocktail

The ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail has existed for centuries. However, unlike most drinks of this age, whose popularity tends to fluctuate throughout the years, the ‘Old Fashioned’ has always been a staple on cocktail menus.

 

The drink is said to have been invented by Martin Cuneo, an American bartender working at the Pendennis Club in Louisville at the end of the 19th century. He created the cocktail for James E. Pepper, a Kentucky Colonel and Bourbon distiller, who was a regular at the club. However, other evidence suggests that the drink was actually consumed several decades before this and a version of the recipe can be found in Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide: How to Mix Drinks, which was published in 1862. Therefore, although the Pendennis Club still holds the claim of being the first to create an ‘Old Fashioned’ served with fruit and sugar syrup, they do now accept that the original, unsweetened version of the drink existed before this.  

The ‘Old Fashioned’ was initially referred to as the ‘Whisky Cocktail’. However, as the recipe began to be tweaked and twisted through the additions of various sugar syrups, fruits and alternative spirits, customers wanting the original drink started to request an ‘Old Fashioned’ Whisky Cocktail when ordering at a bar. The traditional Old Fashioned recipe uses bourbon or rye whisky (or a combination of the two), sweetened with a demerara sugar cube and aromatised with angostura bitters. To build the drink, the sugar and bitters is meddled in a rocks glass before adding a few large ice cubes and then the whisky. To finish, the drink is thoroughly stirred before being topped off with an orange peel garnish.

 

Today, many variations of the cocktail exist. Some mixologists add different sweeteners such as maraschino syrup or even cinnamon syrup for a more autumnal drink. In addition, the garnishes used can vary, ranging from lemon peel, orange peel and sometimes a maraschino cherry.

 

Our version of the ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail replaces the bourbon or rye whisky with our Beeble Honey Whisky. This adds a touch more sweetness to the drink, making it a little more palatable for those who find the classic ‘Old Fashioned’ too strong or sharp.

Honey Whisky Old Fashioned Recipe

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serving size: 1

Ingredients:

·      50ml Beeble Honey Whisky

·      2 dashes Angostura bitters

·      1 demorara sugar cube

·      Splash of water

·      Ice

·      Orange twill

 

Method:

1.     Add water, bitters and sugar to a rocks glass and stir until nearly dissolved

2.     Fill the glass with ice cubes

3.     Gradually add the Honey Whisky whilst stirring

4.     Garnish with an orange twill

 

Written by Hester