The Old Fashioned Cocktail
The Old Fashioned was one of the first cocktails to showcase the trifecta of spirit, sugar, and bitters. We now think of it as a whisky cocktail, but when it originated, the Old Fashioned was more a concept than a cocktail itself, as in the 1800s, it was just as often made with gin as it was whisky.
While this was originally a stirred, boozy cocktail, during prohibition when the quality of alcohol was significantly lower, some people started muddling cherries and oranges into old fashioneds to mask the poor quality alcohol. Fortunately, this is no longer the case.
But if you happen to like muddling fruit into your Old Fashioneds, we certainly aren’t going to stop you.
How to an Old Fashioned Cocktail
- A quality spirit, simple syrup, and bitters.
- Large ice. You can freeze your own with ice molds, or freeze even larger blocks and carve out pieces by hand.
- Lastly, you’ll need a mixing glass set and bar spoon. Filth & Vermouth makes great kits and are proudly Canadian.
Bartender tips:
- As this cocktail only has a bit of sugar and bitters, the better the spirit, the better the cocktail is more true than usual. Don’t skimp on the whisky, as there’s not really anywhere to hide.
- Angostura or orange bitters? Why not both. The Old Fashioned is the perfect cocktail to experiment with different types and combinations of bitters.
- Try making a 2:1 Rich Simple Syrup with demerara sugar. ‘Dem’ is a thicker syrup that’ll add toasted caramel flavours and a heavier mouthfeel.
Variations
The Old Fashioned can be made with any spirit, The Oaxacan Old Fashioned is one of the more popular iterations, subbing the whisky for a split of reposado tequila and smoky mezcal.
Aged rum makes for an excellent choice as well. If you use rum, remember that it's distilled from sugar, so you might want to go easy on the syrup to compensate.
Regardless of what base spirit you choose, adding cinnamon or allspice when you brew your simple syrup will certainly make for an interesting addition.
