The Old Fashioned was said to have originated at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1880s and invented by a bartender there. However, the popularity was due to a member of the club who happened to be a bourbon distiller; Colonel James Pepper transported the drink to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.
The Old Fashioned is probably the first drink to be named a cocktail. It is served in an Old Fashioned glass funnily enough, named after the cocktail.
The Recipe
This recipe serves 1
- 2 measures bourbon
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 white sugar cube
- Garnish: orange zest
Place the sugar cube into a rocks glass, add the orange bitters and dissolve the sugar by mixing with a teaspoon. Add the bourbon plus ice cubes and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely. Finish by adding the orange zest to garnish.
Variations
- Some recipes you will find will add soda to make a long drink, however this would never be permitted in a true Old Fashioned.
- If you prefer Brandy, the Whiskey can be replaced.
