Speakeasy: How to Order an Old Fashioned Like a Grown Up

Welcome back to Speakeasy, where we take a deep dive into a classic drink and give you the history and origins of a drink, the spirits involved, and how to ask for a drink like a pro. Last time we took a sip of the refreshing gimlet, today, we’re all about the classic old fashioned.

The History of the Old Fashioned

The history of the Old Fashioned is a little hazy, as most things having to do with cocktails are. Back in 1806, a reader wrote in to The Balance and Columbian Repository in Hudson, New York, asking them to define cocktail, which they did as spirits, bitters, water, and sugar.

In 1862, a book called Jerry Thomas’ Bartender’s Guide: How to Mix Drinks, lists a cocktail called the Old Fashioned Holland Gin Cocktail. It called for water, ice, two dashes of bitters, a small piece of lemon peel, and one jigger of Holland gin. The whiskey, as you see, was conspicuously missing.

Later, sometimes in 1880s, either a bartender or a member of a private social club (and a bourbon lover), James E. Pepper, mixed up the first old fashioned as we know it. He took the recipe to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel bar, where it made cocktail history.

In 1936, in article in the New York Times, a man noted only as the “Old Timer”, writes this about the old fashioned:

“Consider, for instance, the Old-Fashioned cocktail. Time was when the affable and sympathetic bartender moisted [sic] a lump of sugar with Angostura bitter, dropped in a lump of ice, neither too large or too small, stuck in a miniature bar spoon and passed the glass to the client with a bottle of good bourbon from which said client was privileged to pour his own drink.” [pagebreak]

What’s in an old fashioned?

The classic recipe is simple: it’s one sugar cube, crushed with two to three dashes of bitters, and a splash of club soda. Throw in one ice cube, top with rye or bourbon, stir, and enjoy. (You might find some garnishes: a cherry and/or an orange peel.)

Back in the day (like way back), an old fashioned was made with gin, curacao, even absinthe. That’s no longer the case – an old fashioned is a classic and remains simple and unadulterated. 

What does an old fashioned taste like and how should I order it?

An old fashioned is a strong drink, there’s nothing masking the flavor of rye or bourbon. So if you’re not a fan of dark spirits, this one may not be for you. (But hey, try everything once!) It’s warm, almost spicy, and meant to be sipped slowly.

The variations depend on two things, garnish and rye or bourbon. The orange peel and cherry date back to Prohibition, when you had to tamp down the foul taste of the liquor. These days, it’s not necessary, it’s just a preference. We enjoy the cherry, you do you.

As for rye or bourbon, again, you do you. Remember though that cheap bourbon is sweet and good bourbon should be enjoyed on its own. So choose accordingly.