The Old Fashioned Cocktail (and its many variations)

[JohnS]

The Old Fashioned Cocktail is considered a classic. David A. Embury listed it amongst six basic drinks in his 1948 book on cocktails, 'The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks'. (The others are the Jack Rose, Sidecar, Martini, Manhattan and Daiquiri. The book is considered a reference book on cocktails to this day and Embury, a lawyer by profession, has been elevated to a highly-respected authority in the liquor profession.)

The recent success of Mad Men has seen a comeback for this cocktail, particularly as it was Don Draper's cocktail of choice throughout the show.

The method for making an Old Fashioned varies greatly (The Wikipedia entry demonstrates this clearly). There are differences in regards to the following:

1) Do you use a cube of sugar or simple syrup (which is sugar and water combined through heating and cooled)?

2) Do you use Bourbon, Rye, Scotch or other Spirits?

3) Do you muddle fruit in the drink?

4) How much ice should you use, if at all?

5) Do you add Soda Water?

6) What is the correct garnish? Are orange/lemon Slices and maraschino cherries permissable?

These differences has even led to the creation of a website, Old Fashioned 101,which advocates a traditional method for building the drink.

My interest in the drink comes from the Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Old Fashioned cocktails I've sampled at the Green Peppercorn restaurant in the Sydney CBD this year. I liked them, but I figured I could make them better, and at a more reasonable price!

Below is my experimentation which I carried out yesterday...

[JohnS]

The Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Old Fashioned Cocktail

Ingredients:

Sugar Syrup, Angostura Aromatic Bitters, Regans' Orange Bitters, Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 rum, Orange peel/s, Maraschino cherry, Ice.

Method:

Firstly, take your highball glass and place simple sugar syrup in the bottom. The method I use to create sugar syrup is to get 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of water and heat it in a saucepan, then cool it and store it in the fridge. It's good for many months. I prefer this to muddling a sugar cube because even if you add water to the cube, there's always granules in your drink. With sugar syrup, the sugar mixes better.

Then, add bitters. Ron Zacapa rum has a delicious sweet taste which compliments well with orange, so I added some Regans' Orange Bitters to the traditional Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Add 2 nips of rum and mix with some ice cubes.

Grab an orange and peel using a vegetable peeler. Squeeze the peel over the drink to blend the oils from the peel into the drink. (Please excuse the blurry image!)

Finally, add a maraschino cherry on top of some more ice to fill the glass. Stir thoroughly and serve.

I found this a little sweet yesterday, so I will try to adapt this recipe again today. Experimenting with cocktails can be very rewarding, especially as you fine-tune and adapt your drinks to suit your palate.

[Habana Mike]

Nice John.

I haven't experimented much with classic cocktail recipes using non-traditional liquors.

Will have to give it a go.

[Fuzz]

Look forward to your Zacapa Old Fashioned the next time I'm at your place, John!

[Habana Mike]

The Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Old Fashioned Cocktail

Ingredients:

Sugar Syrup, Angostura Aromatic Bitters, Regans' Orange Bitters, Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 rum, Orange peel/s, Maraschino cherry, Ice.

Method:

Firstly, take your highball glass and place simple sugar syrup in the bottom. The method I use to create sugar syrup is to get 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of water and heat it in a saucepan, then cool it and store it in the fridge. It's good for many months. I prefer this to muddling a sugar cube because even if you add water to the cube, there's always granules in your drink. With sugar syrup, the sugar mixes better.

Then, add bitters. Ron Zacapa rum has a delicious sweet taste which compliments well with orange, so I added some Regans' Orange Bitters to the traditional Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Add 2 nips of rum and mix with some ice cubes.

2015-11-07 16.25.34.jpg

Grab an orange and peel using a vegetable peeler

Finally, add a maraschino cherry on top of some more ice to fill the glass. Stir throuroughly and serve.

I found this a little sweet yesterday, so I will try to adapt this recipe again today. Experimenting with cocktails can be very rewarding, especially as you fine-tune and adapt your drinks to suit your palate.

Thinking about it this one would probably work great with Zaya. It's a little drier than the Zacapa.

[Scrubber]

Nice post John.

I very rarely have cocktails but I have been thinking about trying some at home lately. I think the first one I'll start off with is an Old Fashioned.

Anyone tried it with Scotch? Any suggestions on what kind might go well?

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[JohnS]

Look forward to your Zacapa Old Fashioned the next time I'm at your place, John!

Thanks Fuzz..I look forward to the next catch-up. I made another Old Fashioned with Ron Zacapa today and used one lemon peel and one orange peel and I must say it was quite good. I look forward to serving it up soon!

Thinking about it this one would probably work great with Zaya. It's a little drier than the Zacapa.

Thanks Mike for the suggestion!

Nice post John.

I very rarely have cocktails but I have been thinking about trying some at home lately. I think the first one I'll start off with is an Old Fashioned.

Anyone tried it with Scotch? Any suggestions on what kind might go well?

Thanks mate. It's usually made with Bourbon or Rye whiskey. If you don't have these, try either Irish whisky or a lighter blended scotch, not a single malt offering.

[Scrubber]

Thanks Fuzz..I look forward to the next catch-up. I made another Old Fashioned with Ron Zacapa today and used one lemon peel and one orange peel and I must say it was quite good. I look forward to serving it up soon!

Thanks Mike for the suggestion!

Thanks mate. It's usually made with Bourbon or Rye whiskey. If you don't have these, try either Irish whisky or a lighter blended scotch, not a single malt offering.

Thanks for the suggestions. Not really a bourbon fan so don't keep any handy. I might try it with Bushmills Irish Whisky or some Monkey Shoulder.

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[MIKA27]

Very cool John.

One of my most often made cocktails is the old Fashioned.

I normally make it with Any Bourbon, Rye or Sour mash but I never use the cherries, I often prefer a nice wedge of Blood Orange (I know it's not traditional) and very little sugar syrup. I often use around a half teaspoon.

Where I have time, I make my own boozed up Morello Cherries, whack them in a jar, fill with sugar and brandy. Put them away for around 6 months and they cure. Those are great in an old fashioned.

Thanks for your recipe mate, awesome.

[prsoderberg]

Great post. The Old Fashioned is one of my favorite drinks. Have you tried the Luxardo Maraschino cherries?

[JohnS]

Great post. The Old Fashioned is one of my favorite drinks. Have you tried the Luxardo Maraschino cherries?

Thank you kindly! I know those Luxardo Maraschino cherries you've mentioned. I've not had luck finding them in Australia in the past, but looking online this afternoon, I've found a local source who I'll purchase from once my current supply of cherries is used up.

[Scrubber]

Had my first old fashioned tonight. Used bourbon and orange peel.

I haven't experimented much with drinks as I generally just stick to scotch but this was great. Going to be a regular drink for me. Thanks for the inspiration John!

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[JohnS]

Had my first old fashioned tonight. Used bourbon and orange peel.

I haven't experimented much with drinks as I generally just stick to scotch but this was great. Going to be a regular drink for me. Thanks for the inspiration John!

My pleasure!

[MIKA27]

WATERSHED DISTILLERY OLD FASHIONED

No matter how hard you try, you usually can't make an Old Fashioned like those that trained mixologists crank out. That's where Watershed's Pre-Mixed Old Fashioned comes in, combining the company's 90-proof bourbon with orange and aromatic bitters, raw cane sugar, and Ohio cherry juice. All you really need to do is serve it over ice and you've got a cocktail that's way better than whatever you were trying to throw together in your kitchen. Tip: Hide the bottle, then add an orange twist and some harmless lies before serving to impress guests.

[Duxnutz]

Hmmmm love old fashioneds! Used to drink a lot of Brandy Old Fash's but I believe the best is with Rye Whiskey.

Also, made my own version of Marachino Cherries a week or so ago - Bourbon Cherries. Goes great with an Old Fashioned or Manhatten.

[JohnS]

I agree with Rye Whiskey as the best. I love the idea of using bourbon-infused cherries!

[Nrengle]

WATERSHED DISTILLERY OLD FASHIONED

No matter how hard you try, you usually can't make an Old Fashioned like those that trained mixologists crank out. That's where Watershed's Pre-Mixed Old Fashioned comes in, combining the company's 90-proof bourbon with orange and aromatic bitters, raw cane sugar, and Ohio cherry juice. All you really need to do is serve it over ice and you've got a cocktail that's way better than whatever you were trying to throw together in your kitchen. Tip: Hide the bottle, then add an orange twist and some harmless lies before serving to impress guests.

I know these guys! About 3 miles from where I live!

[Nrengle]

Oh an my recipe for an old fashioned is as follows:

2 oz of favorite bourbon (Oyo for me)

A table spoon ( or is it teaspoon) of brown sugar

5-8 dashes of angaustora bitters (muddled)

2 -3 Dashawn of cherry bitters

1 slice of orange peel burned to release the oils.

Stir and serve with a ball of ice.

[Martin3203]

I need to try one of these, looks like I will be taking a trip to the liquor store

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[whtwtrman79]

I feel like I've somehow missed this thread....

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[JohnS]

The official International Bartenders Association recipe for the Old Fashioned uses Bourbon or Rye whiskey, so I decided to have a try of each this week.

Both images look similar, but the Bourbon I used was Wild Turkey 101...

The Rye I used was Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond 100 Proof Straight Rye...

I had a slight preference, surprisingly, for the Bourbon Old Fashioned, maybe because it was a little sweeter. Overall, both were excellent to sample.

[Nrengle]

WATERSHED DISTILLERY OLD FASHIONED

No matter how hard you try, you usually can't make an Old Fashioned like those that trained mixologists crank out. That's where Watershed's Pre-Mixed Old Fashioned comes in, combining the company's 90-proof bourbon with orange and aromatic bitters, raw cane sugar, and Ohio cherry juice. All you really need to do is serve it over ice and you've got a cocktail that's way better than whatever you were trying to throw together in your kitchen. Tip: Hide the bottle, then add an orange twist and some harmless lies before serving to impress guests.

Local to me, like 10 minutes down the road local. If people need some sources I'm open to trades, just saying. We also have some other great bourbon, wheat, and rye whiskies here from Middlewest under the Oyo (old Indian word for Ohio) if interested. I know the guys at Middlewest very well and can get it easily as well.

[ThePolskiOgorki]

I really enjoy an old fashioned and I too prefer them

made with bourbon.

I have never tried it with rum, but I could see how it could work if you like them a little sweeter and I am intrigued. I know there are some purists out there that will say it has to be made with bourbon or rye and nothing else, I am not one of those people. As long as it is a brown spirit I think it is ok to experiment. One thing that should be said is whatever spirit you use don't ever muddle the fruit, that is if you even decide to add it. I add it because I like the element of cherry sweetness from the maraschino and prefer orange peel for the whiff of citrus. However I don't want chunks of cherry floating around or the bitterness that you can get from muddling citrus zest. There are recipes out there that call for it, but I save the muddling for my mojitos.

Mmmmm mojitos.

[JohnS]

I really enjoy an old fashioned and I too prefer them

made with bourbon.

I have never tried it with rum, but I could see how it could work if you like them a little sweeter and I am intrigued. I know there are some purists out there that will say it has to be made with bourbon or rye and nothing else, I am not one of those people. As long as it is a brown spirit I think it is ok to experiment. One thing that should be said is whatever spirit you use don't ever muddle the fruit, that is if you even decide to add it. I add it because I like the element of cherry sweetness from the maraschino and prefer orange peel for the whiff of citrus. However I don't want chunks of cherry floating around or the bitterness that you can get from muddling citrus zest. There are recipes out there that call for it, but I save the muddling for my mojitos.

Mmmmm mojitos.

Agreed, never muddle the fruit in an Old Fashioned. Muddling mint leaves and sugar in a mojito or lime wedges and sugar in a caipirinha is strongly advised, however!

[ATGroom]

This is what you want to do for an Old Fashioned...