Well, the name prepares us for a long and confusing history, because "old-fashioned" takes us to the origins of cocktail culture, to the beginning of the 19th century. Speaking of this cocktail, many imagine a perfectly dressed man of about fifty years old, ideal appearance with the manners of a gentleman.
The first reference to this drink, as well as the first published definition of the word "cocktail", is found in the May 13, 1806 edition of The Balance and Columbian Repository. It was there that the editor of the newspaper referred to the cocktail as a drink consisting of spirits, bitters, water and sugar.
Old Fashion is one of the oldest cocktails, but over the years this vintage classic has changed its name, formerly known as the Whiskey Cocktail, evolved in preparation methods and ingredients influenced by the fashion of the bar community. The cocktail has 5 cooking methods that can be used in various ways:
Jerry Thomas included the Whiskey Cocktail in his 1862 The Bar-Tenders Guide, the first cocktail book, and was referred to as "a glass of whiskey." Whiskey was probably rye in those days, while bourbon gained popularity during Prohibition. Consequently, some conservatives believe that Old Fashion should be made with rye whiskey. Regardless, the use of bourbon is not a mistake, and the choice of whiskey should be directly determined by the taste preference of the drinker. Bourbon provides a juicy, sweet and rich flavor, while rye gives a spicy response.
Older Old Fashion recipes mentioned a sugar cube.
It is placed in the bottom of a glass, moistened with a bitter and a little water, then chopped and stirred until dissolved with the flat end of a bar spoon. But instead of wasting time and effort on the above, you can simply pour the pre-prepared sugar syrup. As David A. Embury wrote in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks: "You can make excellent Old Fashion with just sugar syrup."
In the USA, an orange is divided into segments (and often maraschino cherries are also added), and then pressed on the bottom of the glass with the help of a mudler. This practice appeared during the Prohibition era as a means of masking from the tart smell of low-quality alcohol, and thanks that this practice never touched England. As Crosby Gaige wrote in 1944, "people of a serious mind did not allow Old Fashion to be a fruit salad." However, a cocktail cannot be considered complete without an orange peel, although this, to some extent, can be considered an echo of the practice of making a “fruit salad”.
There is no doubt that Old Fashion tastes great thanks in part to the bitters, and the only question is which one to use. Initially, Brokers bitter was used by default, due to the fact that it was almost the only suitable one. But it was replaced by Angostura Aromatic Bitters, which are now used everywhere and most often.
If you use a mixing glass to prepare Old Fashion, the drink looks much more appealing and holds the flavor much better when chilled with one large piece of ice. Otherwise, use double-frozen ice.
Like any classics, the true origin of this cocktail changed under the influence of the mysticism of the time. So for the sake of truthfulness, I quote a quote from Robert Simonson, author of the book with the long title Old-Fashioned: The Story of the Worlds First Classic Cocktail, with Recipes and Lore: “The Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail (the full name of the cocktail) is a drink dating back to the beginning of the days of the cocktail era. Its classic formula dates back to 1806: a strong base, some sugar, water and bitter. This is rare among mixed drinks because it never completely disappeared from sight for the next two centuries. Nevertheless, the drink did go through a lot of difficulties on its way."
For several decades of its life, the drink has gone from the simple name of the Whiskey Cocktail to what we have now. Throughout its history, it has been served in different variations, ranging from serving without ice to the category of "morning" cocktail - the one that we usually drink in the morning, opening our eyes. And by the 1840s, he was gaining popularity as a favorite drink among the stylish and fashion-savvy youngsters of the time.
Beginning in the 1870s, bartenders began using new liqueurs that they believed could "enhance" the Whiskey Cocktail, adding such as Curacao, Maraschino, Chartreuse and other varieties.
Over the years, different people and bars have claimed to have invented Old Fashion, most vehemently claimed by the Louisvilles Pendennis Club, which was founded in 1881. All of these people have been crowned in deception. Since Old Fashion began life as a "cocktail" in its most rudimentary form, the drink's credibility will probably never be established.
After surviving Prohibition in 1933, Old Fashion once again went through a series of changes. The cocktail was then mainly made with fruit, usually with an orange slice and maraschino cherry, although pineapple also had a place to be. The fruit was muddled at the bottom of the glass. The reason for these modifications was to mask the taste of the liquor that was added to the cocktail. One thing is for sure: each of the surging cocktail books that surfaced in the 1930s featured an Old Fashion recipe, encouraging the use of fruit. Bartenders returning to service after 13 years of inactivity duly followed this formula.
By the 1970s, with the rise in popularity of vodka and disco drinks, Old Fashion was losing ground and was unpopular. By the end of the 20th century, it had become a drink that was mostly associated with older people.
"Old Fashioned" returned to its original form of the 1880s during the first decade of this century.
