Easy Old-Fashioned Drink Recipe

Sampurna Laha
15 Min Read

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The Old-fashioned cocktail is one of the most traditional and oldest drinks in the cocktail industry. It is widely known that this is the one cocktail that kick-started the era of booze-making. So, how to make an old-fashioned drink?

The old-fashioned cocktail experienced several evolutionary variations during the 1870s when the booze market was facing a decline. However, with time, our beloved drink earned the name of the classic old-fashioned cocktail due to multiple events.

An old-fashioned cocktail is originally used with whiskey spirits like bourbon or rye whiskey. But as bartenders got exposure to newer liqueurs, they kept experimenting with newer versions of the old-fashioned with different clean spirits.

The old-fashioned cocktail signifies the first step to the booze industry out there! Even if you do not know how to make cocktails, this simple drink should be your first drink to get started with.

1. What is an Old-Fashioned Cocktail Drink?

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An old-fashioned cocktail drink is often described as a stimulating liquor that consists of whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water along with a veritable fruity slice of any citrus.

The old-fashioned recipe is famous for using larger chunks of ice cubes for the last important serving part. Generally, bartenders use large ice cubes for the drink because it serves as an aesthetic appeal and dilutes the cocktail slower over time.

Since the old-fashioned drink is one of the most ancient cocktails, let’s hop on to the historical background of it, shall we?

2. The Historical Background of the Old-fashioned Cocktail

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Before the 1850s, cocktails fashion was not very popular because of the lack of ice production. In those centuries, ice could be cut out only from the frozen oceans, and they were quite expensive for that laborious reason.

However, in the late 1860s, the refrigeration process came to light, and it became easier for bars and general households to create clean and clear ice on their own. Consequently, the price of clear ice fell and became cheaper.

Traditionally, during this era, the old-fashioned drink was popular as the simple ‘Whiskey Cocktail,‘ and it remained in this name for like a decade. But, over time, the booze industry faced a massive downfall due to the prohibition era that hit in the 1870s.

Various new spirits arrived during and after these bad times, which were poorer in taste and quality. So, the bartenders enthusiastically started making improved versions of the known cocktails, which led to great degradation in the cocktail originality.

Many old liqueurs were replaced with newer recipes, and a few were also completely lost. Slices of orange and lemons were muddled in a paste and mixed with the cocktail to cover up its low quality.

Families and certain groups of people opposed the improved versions of the liquor, and one of the most memorable stories was about an old man from the Pendennis Club in Louisville.

He entered a bar and ordered a ‘classic old-fashioned cocktail,’ meaning he did not want any of the new, improved versions but would prefer the traditional version of the recipe. Hearing this, the bartender has to go back to the original version of the infamous whiskey cocktail.

Since then, our beloved simple and delicious drink has gained its intriguingly witty name. The old-fashioned cocktail is so old that even after a hundred years, it is still called ‘old fashioned.

Since this drink’s historical story has ended, let’s start with the procedure of making this along with its required old-fashioned recipes.

3. Ingredients needed for all Old-Fashioned Variations

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  • Whisky ( A bottle of Bourbon or Rye )
  • Bitters ( Angostura bitters/ Orange bitters/ Aphrodite bitters )
  • Sugar ( Demerara Sugar cube/ Turbinado/ Brown sugar cube/ Cane Sugar )
  • Club Soda
  • Gum Syrup
  • Orange slice for orange twist garnish
  • Lemon slice
  • Cherry
  • Rocks glass
  • Mixing glass
  • Bar spoon

Now, let us not keep you waiting and begin making the awaited most old-fashioned whiskey cocktails.

4. The Classic Old-Fashioned Style

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This preparation is technically the best classic cocktail on the whole list. Follow the instructions, and you’ll be able to create your first-ever 1860th fashioned recipe.

  • First and foremost, it is crucial to keep your garnish ingredient ready for food serving contributes. Take an orange and peel off its side layer to remove a thin orange peel layer and keep it aside for later use.
  • Once the garnish is ready, take your mixing glass. Add 5-10 mili/0.25 oz demerara or any other rich sugar syrup. It is better to start with less sugar value and later give more syrup if you need it, according to your preferences.
  • Now, add angostura bitters or any other bitter for about 2-3 dashes, according to your taste requirement. Any bitter would be a good match, but since angostura bitters are more commonly used, it has become a known standard and is one of the best bitters.
  • For the main part, add whiskey ( bourbon or rye ) for exactly 2 oz. It is the standard amount of whiskey for every classic drink.
  • Once done, the whiskey needs to be a little diluted. For that, add ice cubes (medium-sized) and give them a good stir with the bar spoon. Now, your classic liquor is ready for the last finishing part.
  • Take out your rocks glass and put one of the largest ice cubes you have. Then, strain off the liquor from the mixing glass onto the rocks. A big ice cube is generally used since smaller ice cubes melt quicker and dilute the liquor faster. However, it is the kind of drink that is sipped over time, so the big ice cube makes it perfectly balanced.
  • For the final decoration, take your orange peel and give it your own spin along the brink of the rocks, and finally, put the orange peel into the liquor. You may add a cherry on top of the drink, but it is recommended to use the cherry originally in the later-mentioned variations.
  • Now take a sip of this delicious liquor and sit back to have a good time! This is how you traditionally make an old-fashioned.

5. The Improved Old-Fashioned Style

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This recipe is often described as the one in the late 1870s. In that period, the market for cheaper liqueurs was booming. So, as popular as it was, it does get criticized too by the old generation people who would not like anything the classic style. But after all, it all comes down to your own preferences.

  • Keep your mixing glass ready. Drop a sugar cube, preferably demerara or turbinado, into the glass.
  • Now, add 4 dashes of Angostura or orange bitters, whichever you prefer. You can also use aphrodite bitters since it has such a tasteful flavor.
  • Now, add the citrus’, drop a piece of cherry and orange peel and muddle them all together for one of these fresh citrus recipes.
  • Then, add 1/2 oz of club soda to enhance the liqueur.
  • Now, finally, add 2 oz of bourbon for the fragrant taste. Bourbon is known for its subtly sweet flavor. Once the liqueur recipe is done, it is time for the next part.
  • Put a large ice cube in the glass and let it dilute for a few seconds. You can stir with the spoon if you feel like it.
  • Put another big ice cube in your rocks and strain the liquor onto it. Use a lemon or an orange for the garnish, along with a cherry. It looks pretty!

We used a lot of citruses here, so for the general nutrition advice, it is rich in vitamin c. So, it may be a great addition to your daily diet on the weekends. This is how we improve and use variations to make an old fashion.

6. The Whiskey Sling Old-Fashioned Style

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There is a whole list of many more whiskey cocktails, and this method is not typically a known process, but it is still a raw recipe to make an old-fashioned. This recipe arose when it was still served under ‘Whiskey liquor.’ It was also famous in the 1700s colonial times, but we will make the newer recipe version of this style. So, let us see how it is being made, after all.

  • Add a spoonful of powdered sugar and mix it well with an oz of water, diluting it.
  • Add 2 full oz of rye and put a single cube chunk. Do not worry about the dilution since we have already used water. We do not use bitters in this recipe but fill in only with another ingredient database.
  • Finally, take a lemon peel, zest it on top of the liquor, and then put it into the drink. You can also smear nutmeg on top for extra taste if you prefer. This is one of the simplest recipes of this particular liquor, but it indulges you in its magic as much as the other recipes.

7. The Bittered Sling Old-Fashioned Style

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This old-fashioned recipe is highly similar to the whiskey one, but it is slightly different in some aspects. We’ll use a new ingredient called gum syrup ( a simple syrup that you can easily find in stores ). Without further ado, let’s get started with our final old-fashioned recipe!

  • Take your container, fill a spoon with gum syrup, and pour it in.
  • Add 2-3 dashes of aphrodite bitters immediately and mix them.
  • Now, fill it with 2 full oz of rye to the liqueur and put a big frozen cube in for the stir and final dilution.
  • For the last garnish, add a lemon peel and sprinkle the citrus oils onto the liquor’s top for additional rich enhancement. Now, there you go! We have finally made it to the end.

7.1 A Few Additional Tips For You

It has been an exciting journey guiding you through the history and modernization of old-fashioned recipes. Do you know how much a nutrient is inside the liqueurs? Originally I believed that there would be none.

However, there is an interesting fact about bitters. Before they became one of the key ingredients for bartending, they were used for medicinal purposes with herbs and roots and were sorely used for stomach problems. So, that is great nutrition information.

Apart from the carbohydrates in superfine sugar, there are no notable nutrients in the remaining liquor.

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For making liquors at home, you can easily use the best ingredients to enjoy a worthy old-fashioned. You can use Colonel E.H Taylor Jr. Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey, a strong liqueur with 100 proof. It is one of the best bourbon whiskeys out there!

For bitters, the Angostura Aromatic Bitters easily wins the title of the best and most widely used old bitters of all time.

Everyone loves an exotic old-fashioned cocktail at the bar and for a cozy winter evening. So, it is unsurprising that everyone, especially the old-fashioned ones, adores a proper whiskey drink.

Check Out: 7 Exotic Old-Fashioned Cocktail Recipes

Since you’re all familiar with this exquisite drink, it’s your chance to try it out! Now, once you’re ready with the required liqueur, bitters, and sugar, Go ahead and make your own Signature Old-Fashioned!

Last Updated on by Himani Rawat

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By Sampurna Laha Content Writer
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Hi! This is Sampurna. A passionate writer with an obsession for words and poetry. Writing about restaurants, food & drinks is uniquely my cup of tea.