There is nothing quite like the taste of a perfectly crafted Old Fashioned. If you’re looking for a classic, subtlety sweet and simple cocktail to make, an Old Fashioned is hard to beat. After all, it’s basically ‘The OG’ in the world of cocktails.
How ‘OLD’ is the Old Fashioned?
The Old Fashioned goes WAY back, making its name quite suitable. The Old Fashioned made its debut in the first reference to the word ‘cocktail,’ published in the May 12, 1806 issue of The Balance and Columbian Repository. The editor defined a ‘cocktail’ as a drink consisting of ingredients identical to what an Old Fashioned contains including, “spirit mixed with a small amount of bitters, some sugar, etc. orig. U.S.”
It wasn’t until 1881 that the name ‘Old Fashioned’ was coined by a bartender at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, KY to honor Colonel James E. Pepper, a prominent area bourbon distiller. More than a century later, we are still sipping on his cocktail creation. Feeling thirsty?
Make the PERFECT Old Fashioned at Home
Fortunately, Old Fashioneds are easy to make and require few ingredients. Needless to say, you don’t need to be a mixologist to make this drink. All you need is five minutes and the following ingredients: 
Ingredients
- 2 oz. rye or bourbon
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 sugar cube
- club soda
Directions
- Place a sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon loose sugar) in the base of a cocktail glass.
- Wet it down with 2-3 dashes of Angostura
- Add a splash of Canada Dry Club Soda.
- Crush the ingredients together with a wooden muddler or sturdy spoon.
- Spin the glass so that the sugar grains and bitters create a lining.
- Drop in a large ice cube or a few regular-sized cubes.
- Pour in the rye (or bourbon). Keep reading to find out what we recommend.
- Serve in an ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail glass on a coaster with a stirring rod.
- Garnish with a fresh orange slice and cherry for a finished product that will make you feel like you ordered it straight from a steakhouse or your favorite bar.
DRINK Tips & Tricks
For best results, use good whiskey. Traditionally, rye is recommended. However, if you’re a bourbon drinker, that works too! Beyond that, all you need is bitters, sugar and club soda.
Entertaining friends, house guests or a hot date? Impress them with an official Old Fashioned cocktail glass and customized coaster. Shop 904 Custom to stock your bar with personalized glass, leather and wood coasters. Take hospitality to the next level with our custom glassware — perfect for making this classic cocktail.
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