FOR THE LOVE OF THE OLD FASHIONED

Want to turn up the heat in a room full of bartenders? Simply chime in with your recipe for the venerable Old Fashioned cocktail.

Standing tall, center stage in the current cocktail renaissance, the Old Fashioned boasts as many iterations as it holds devotees. 

How do you make an Old Fashioned? Your answer tells me more than just your taste preference. Where you hail from. Whether you spend formative years with the Brady Bunch, Friends or Mad Men. Your grandparents had a summer cabin in Sheboygan, Wisconsin…I know. It’s written all over your drink order. 

The barroom has long been a standing pulpit for debate. Leave politics behind and let’s discuss cocktails, a far more civilized topic. Bourbon or rye? Canadian or American? Sweet or sour? Fruit salads, red glob cherries, soda water, muddlers...pineapple? They’re all part of the two century history of this little glass of liquid. 

If you’ve been acquainted with the Old Fashioned prior to say, 2000, chances are you reach for the orange slice and cherries - weathered muddler at the ready, prepared to pulverize said fruit.

My friends from the Badger state vehemently clutch the brandy bottle. Their Old Fashioned concluded with a splash of 7-Up or “sour mix” propelled from a sticky gun, holstered at the ready behind so many well worn bars.

The modern enthusiast has adopted a much simplified approach. Although, not modern in itself at all. This stripped down, “chopper” of a cocktail long predates its fruit laden progeny. Take a trip with me. The Old Fashioned is, in fact, the very definition of “cocktail”.

A short and slightly blurry history

You see, the word “cocktail” hasn’t been traced in text prior to 1803. In a booze filled stroke of serendipity, a New York publication actually defines the word for us after its second appearance in 1806. Upon seeing it in print, a curious reader inquired about its meaning to the editor. The paper obliged and eureka!, we have a definition:  “... a potent concoction of spirits, bitters, water and sugar.”

Americans were just beginning their love affair with these convenient, single serving drinks. Punch had long been king (and would retain great popularity for decades to come). Our fledgling country had work to do. All of that work meant we were more thirsty than ever. We just didn’t have hours to tick away, crushing gallons of punch.

Liquid evolution

Simple in its preparation. Accessible in its ingredients. Forgiving in its proportions. Endlessly customizable. The Old Fashioned has all of the makings of a timeless classic. No ice? No problem. Citrus? A treat if you had it. Rye? Cognac? Rum? Bourbon? Moonshine? Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.

Americans are a curious bunch. Our drive to innovate is as strong as our thirst. As we inched toward the 20th century, rapid globalization was occurring. Imports flooded in from Europe. Exotic liqueurs, wines and spirits began to entice the public’s palate. The humble cocktail sprouted wings and took on new dimensions. 

Amidst the excitement of curacao, maraschino and vermouths from far away lands, many seasoned drinkers still had a taste for simpler times. They wanted their cocktail- a mix of spirits, bitters, sugar & water.* A skilled bartender has always been one to oblige a parched patron. So in the 1880s we began to see this well known mixture given a name- The Old Fashioned (and many variants thereof). The nostalgic imbiber could now walk into a bar, “I’ll have an Old Fashioned whiskey cocktail.” And so the humble c-o-c-k-t-a-i-l becomes a Cocktail.

(*To be sure, variants abound even in the Old Fashioned’s early life. Syrup or rough sugar? Muddle or shake? Chunk of ice or pieces? And on and on… Many brave writers have explored the subject. May I suggest “The Old Fashioned” by Robert Simonson for a deeper dive.)

Time moves on, the old bartenders step down and tastes change. The Old Fashioned seems to become the victim of a decades long game of “telephone”. Versions emerge on the other side of prohibition, two world wars and the Depression tattered and barely recognizable. The streamlined, old, Old Fashioned is largely buried until the modern cocktail renaissance. 

To be fair, I’m quite happy it remained on life support, even as the fruit, sour mixed soaked version. After all, taste is taste. The drink you order is yours to enjoy. The duty falls on the bartender to explore your preference. I’ve always asked “Fruit salad in? Or stripped down, old school style?” (If you must use fruit, I recommend looking for a quality maraschino cherry like those imported from Italy. Otherwise, making your own is a fun and easy project.)

But happy times are here again and we welcome the sleek, sexy and sophisticated version home. And how its return has been welcomed! (I was personally waiting at the airport for this cocktail’s triumphant return: hand-drawn sign, oversized teddy bear & muddler in hand.) Find a watering hole that’s paying attention to the craft of bartending and they’ll be at the ready to make you the 19th century classic. Sometimes now referred to as the Old-Old Fashioned. Spirits, bitters, water (ice), sugar (and a twist). 

The easy choice: Grab yourself a bottle of our Rum Old Fashioned. This is the version I’ve found my enjoying over the past years, so I couldn’t have been happier to be able to bottle it for you.

I make mine with “whiskey drinker’s rum” - long aged, loaded with character and a bit of funk. We were able to call our friends at Plantation Rum and source the very same, top-quality booze. Add in some incredible chocolate bitters from Bittered Sling and the balance of mocha, coffee and ex-bourbon barrels sign together harmoniously. Topped off with a spritz of orange oil from a twist and I’d wager this will become your go-to as well. Pour our canned cocktail over ice, garnish as preferred, sit back and relax and allow it melt the day away as only a proper cocktail can. Cheers!

-Charles Joly