Old Fashioned Cocktail

The Old Fashioned Cocktail is made with bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar syrup, and bitters. This drink is a traditional king everyone appreciates.

The Old Fashioned Cocktail Story

Many connoisseurs associate the drink with the word cocktail. It dates back to the early 1900s and is listed in "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" (Affiliate Link) as one of the six basic drinks. Sidecar, Manhattan, Martini, and Jack Rose are also included.

The foundation for this cocktail is generally believed to have been laid in 1806 by The Balance and Columbian Repository. They mentioned offhand that the work was a 'cocktail.' The editorial received letters demanding clarification on the unheard-of liquor.

One week later, Harry Croswell, a journalist, answered the question and defined a cocktail like this:

“a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.”

- Harry Croswell

A Drink With Other Names.

The Cocktail was also known as a "bittered sling" back then and was primarily used as a breakfast drink to prepare for the day.

Cocktails became more popular and more complex over the years.

It was common for whiskey cocktails to include other liqueurs, and this was not appreciated by purists. Absinthe and orange curacao were very popular by the 1960s.

According to the legend! This recipe was named in honor of a Master Bourbon Distiller from Kentucky and he brought the drink to New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bar. 

However, it seems unlikely that this origin is possible. The mention of "old-fashioned cocktails" is found in the Chicago Daily Tribune of February 1880.

The Old Fashioned has been trending in and out since it was invented. Fun fact: Louisville and Kentucky have made the Old Fashioned its official cocktail. The city celebrates the 'Old Fashioned Fortnight' every June for the first two weeks. There are many bourbon events and specials, culminating in National Bourbon Day, June 14.