THE HiSTORY OF THE Old Fashioned Cocktail

It is one of the oldest cocktails of all. Therefore, its history cannot be summarized in a few lines. Here are the most important facts in nutshell.

The origins of the Old Fashioned can be traced back to the early 19th century. The first documented definition of a cocktail appeared in 1806 in the Hudson, New York publication, The Balance and Columbian Repository. It described a cocktail as a potent mixture of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar. This basic formula laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Old Fashioned.
Interestingly, the roots of the Old Fashioned go even further back to the 1700s in Great Britain. Dr. Richard Stoughton created an elixir called “Elixir Magnum Stomachicum,” which was a concentrated essence of botanicals like barks, peels, and roots. He recommended adding his bitters to brandy or wine, sweetened with sugar, to cure a hangover. This early concoction bears a striking resemblance to the Old Fashioned we know today.

Later in 1862, in the book „Jerry Thomas‘ Bartenders Guide: How To Mix Drinks“, the recipe for the whiskey cocktail also appears: Crush a cube of sugar in a whiskey glass with a little water, add a lump of ice, two dashes of Angostura bitters, a small piece of lemon peel and a jigger of whiskey. Stir with a small bar spoon. Serve.
The cocktail gained popularity in the United States during the 19th century. By the 1860s, bartenders began experimenting with more complex cocktails and at some point in its development, there were twists with liqueurs. These variations with Dry Curaçao, Maraschino or absinthe were initially called „Fancy“ and were dubbed the Improved Whiskey Cocktail by Jerry Thomas. The „old“ version without liqueurs or absinthe was henceforth known as the Plain Whiskey Cocktail. And now the term „Old Fashioned“ comes into play for the first time. The drinkers of the time, who did not want to drink the whiskey cocktail „fancy“, i.e. without liqueurs, but „plain“, began to order it as an „old-fashioned“ version. They wanted the whiskey cocktail old fashioned again.
The Old Fashioned as we know it today was solidified in the 1880s. It became a staple in bars across America, particularly in Louisville, Kentucky, where it is believed to have been popularized by the Pendennis Club. The club was modeled after the gentlemen’s clubs of London and quickly became a prominent social institution in Kentucky.

THE BOURBON FOR THE OLD FASHIONED

It’s generally a matter of taste which American whiskey you like to enjoy in your Old Fashioned. Let’s stick with bourbon. I have several types of bourbon on my shelf, but there are two bottles that I use most often in cocktails with bourbon. The Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and the Maker’s Mark Bourbon. I differentiate between which whiskey I prefer for which type of cocktail.

The Elijah Craig is my first choice when it comes to cocktails with the structure of an Old Fashioned. See also the Don Lockwood or Revolver cocktail.

I prefer Maker’s Mark Bourbon in cocktails with a sour cocktail structure. This is because the Maker’s Mark is simply more edgy. More spicy, it holds its own better in sours and is not too subtle. I like to use it in well-known sours such as the Whiskey Sour and Paper Plane, as well as less well-known ones such as the Bourbon Renewal or Midnight Stinger. For example.

There is no right or wrong here. Everyone has to find their favorite bourbon for the Old Fashioned. And there are a lot of bottles to discover….

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