Old Fashioned cocktail recipe

It’s all in the name, isn’t it? The Old Fashioned has been around for years and is a certified classic in the cocktail world. It’s a staple at every dark, smoky cocktail bar, perfect for a Friday night knockoff or the closing act of a Saturday night on the town. And as far as ingredients go, the Old Fashioned couldn’t be simpler – just spirit, sugar, water and bitters. But what’s really impressive is just how long this drink has spent at the forefront of cocktail culture.

There have been plenty of claims over who invented the Old Fashioned, but like most old cocktails, it’s impossible to know for sure. All we know is that it appeared during the 19th century, evolved through prohibition, fell in and out of fashion, and is now a staple. The name is thought to have appeared during the cocktail boom of the 1880s when American bartenders were experimenting with all kinds of different spirits, liqueurs and syrups. Despite the exciting innovation, a lot of drinkers missed the simplicity of the old days and wanted an old-fashioned cocktail instead, and there you have it – an Old Fashioned.

The easiest way to add some variety to the Old Fashioned is by changing up the base spirit. The earliest Old Fashioneds were made using rye whiskey, but bourbon became a popular substitute when prohibition hit the US during the 1920s. Six Kentucky distilleries were granted licenses to continue producing medicinal bourbon, whereas rye whiskey was dealt a blow that it took decades to recover from.

These days, drinkers can take their pick, so what will it be? Making your Old Fashioned with rye whiskey will give it a strong, spicy kick, rather than the smooth caramel notes of bourbon. You can even use a Scotch whisky, which will bring an entirely different range of flavours to the glass, depending on where the Scotch comes from. Prefer your Old Fashioneds a little smoky? Then pour an Islay Scotch. More grassy and floral? Then a Speyside Scotch could be the answer. You can even get a little out-there with the Oaxaca Old Fashioned using tequila or the Bacon Washed Old Fashioned, which is easier (and tastier) than it sounds.