The Old Fashioned is as old as cocktails themselves—in fact, the earliest known description of a cocktail is essentially a recipe for an Old Fashioned: spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. “It was first recognized in print in 1805—people would ask for ‘an old fashioned-style drink’ and that’s where it got its name,” says Ryan Andrews, beverage director of GBOD Hospitality Group and lead bartender at Prohibition in San Diego. “There’s a simplicity and timelessness to it.”
The drink has been a popular choice for cocktail enthusiasts ever since its inception, but it really hit its stride with the current American public roughly two decades ago. “The Old Fashioned came back into the limelight in the early aughts with the rebirth of the New York cocktail scene—this is when we saw a return to the basics, where bartenders sought out old cocktail books from the 1800s and took the recipe back to its essence,” says Garth Poe, bar manager at Easy Bistro & Bar and Little Coyote in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He adds that the Old Fashioned has only gotten more popular since the Bourbon boom took off in 2010.
“We’re a Bourbon-heavy bar, so Old Fashioneds have always been popular choices with our clientele,” notes Justin Rankin, beverage manager at The Katharine Brasserie & Bar in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “However, we’ve evolved the way we craft this classic cocktail and this is how we stand out. We try to take different approaches to the Old Fashioned, whether that’s by barrel-aging the cocktail or adding fun and exciting garnishes and ice cubes.”
The Katharine isn’t alone in this—it’s very common today to see at least one interesting twist on the Old Fashioned on just about any cocktail menu in the country, which helps this early 19th century cocktail remain relevant to today’s drinkers. “The Old Fashioned is always going to be a classic and guests will always gravitate to it because it’s comfortable, but the journey we take them on with the different variations is what makes it fun and exciting again,” Rankin says.
Bar Staple
Rankin adds that he loves the Old Fashioned for its efficiency as a three-ingredient—not including the water component, which is the ice—cocktail. “I also love its dependability: I know guests will love it, so I don’t have to worry if it will be well-received,” he notes. “Whether as a pre-, during, or post-dinner drink, the Old Fashioned is a solid choice that won’t let you down. It’s a staple and it’s comforting in that it takes away the pressure of having to make a decision or risk choosing a drink you won’t enjoy. And bartenders appreciate the adaptability of the recipe that allows them to take things to a new level, experimenting with different types of whisk(e)y, bitters, and sweeteners.” The most popular Old Fashioned on The Katharine’s menu is one of Rankin’s that highlights ingredients local to North Carolina, the Barrel-Aged Carolina Old Fashioned ($19), made with Frank’s Reserve Broad Branch whiskey, house-made Cheerwine syrup, and Crude Attawanhood #37 bitters, which is mixed and then aged in oak for eight weeks. Another popular choice is bartender Sarah Kornegay’s 1929 Cubism Old Fashioned ($18), comprising Blade & Bow Bourbon poured over an ice cube containing orange juice, demerara syrup, and a Luxardo cherry, plus water.
John Ware, bar director at Forsythia in New York City, similarly appreciates the Old Fashioned’s simplicity and reliability. “It’s widely known and doesn’t have too many ingredients, so as a result, the Old Fashioned is one of the classics that people know they should be able to order at any bar and get something resembling the real thing,” he says. Indeed, even unique twists on the recipe don’t deter people from ordering it—the name “Old Fashioned” alone makes it an attractive bar order. At Easy Bistro & Bar, the Easy Old Fashioned ($12) by former bar manager Alex Howell comprises New Riff Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, house-made oleo saccharrum syrup, and Angostura Aromatic and Orange bitters. “This is a more modern approach with a house take on an oleo saccharum syrup,” Poe says. “It offers an acidic pop of citrus that softens the cocktail’s edge and makes it more approachable.”
GBOD Hospitality Group’s Andrews notes that his House Old Fashioned is the top-selling drink at Prohibition, as well as other venues in the group’s portfolio. “I think this is due to the rich demerara sugar we get from the Demerara River valley area of Guyana, which is one of the richest sugarcane producing regions in the world—plus my handmade bitters and a rotating cast of single barrel selections.” At Prohibition, his House Old Fashioned ($18) blends a house single barrel pick of Elijah Craig Bourbon with demerara syrup, and house-made Aromatic #7 bitters and Cherry Apple bitters.
“Both professional mixologists and casual drinkers appreciate the simplicity of this timeless cocktail—but because of its versatility bartenders have been able to add flare in the form of new flavors, over-the-top garnishes, and smoking the cocktail tableside, which has expanded its allure,” notes Nikki McCutcheon, senior director of beverage at Tao Group Hospitality. At Tao Group’s Silver Lining in New York City, McCutcheon’s Between Living and Dreaming ($18) is a Japanese take on the Old Fashioned, mixing Suntory Toki Blended Japanese whisky, simple syrup, The Japanese Bitters Co. Sakura bitters, and Angostura Orange bitters.
Brad Jennings, beverage director and co-owner of North of Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky, notes that as the Old Fashioned has grown in popularity—particularly since the early 2000s—so too have variations on it. “Infused or fat-washed Bourbons have been added to the mix to impart different flavors, allowing for the Old Fashioned to stay in the cycle without waning due to boredom,” he says. “At North of Bourbon, our most popular Old Fashioneds typically are the ones that deviate from the norm the most.” Such popular versions include the Let’s Geaux Bananas ($14), featuring banana-infused Smooth Ambler Old Scout 6-year-old Bourbon (North of Bourbon’s own barrel pick), house-made banana syrup, and Fee Brothers Black Walnut bitters; and the Get Figgy With It ($14), comprising rosemary-infused Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, Averna amaro, house-made fig syrup, and Fee Brothers Orange bitters and Cardamom bitters. “I think the Old Fashioned is popular because it stands as one of the original cocktails, so there’s a nostalgic element there,” Jennings adds. “However, the Old Fashioned can also represent simplicity and complexity simultaneously. A three-ingredient cocktail can still take weeks to make if you’re infusing the Bourbon with banana.”
Michael Marino, general manager and beverage director for Butcher Bar in Philadelphia, affirms that the Old Fashioned will always have a place in the cultural discussion of classic cocktails. “It’s the centerpiece of every bar, whether it’s at your home or your favorite local spot,” he says. “It’s still the most approachable of all the true whisk(e)y cocktails, and yet sophisticated enough to let the whisk(e)y shine through for experienced rye and Bourbon drinkers.” His Your Mother Makes Great Pancakes ($16) blends Francis James Maple Fusion—a blend of Bourbon and rye whiskeys finished in maple syrup casks—Nonino amaro, maple simple syrup, Fee Brothers Black Walnut bitters, and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters.
At Butcher and the Boar in Minneapolis, Mike Liay, director of beverage for venue owner Jester Concepts, says that the Old Fashioned is the bar’s bread and butter, with the top-selling drink being his rotating seasonal House Old Fashioned ($16), which this past fall was quite outside the usual Old Fashioned box, comprising Old Grand Dad 100 and Buffalo Trace Bourbons plus Plymouth gin, Laird’s Straight apple brandy, demerara syrup, Angostura bitters, and Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters. “This one was by far our best-seller by at least a two-to-one margin,” Liay says.
Outside The Box
Liay notes that the biggest change in the Old Fashioned he’s seen over the last several years is the inclusion of other spirits besides whisk(e)y. “Early on, it felt like sacrilege to change any aspect of the recipe, but we’ve moved on from it being some precious, untouchable thing, and now it’s just one more canvas for us to have fun with,” he says.
Forsythia’s Ware refers to the Old Fashioned as “endlessly customizable,” pointing out that the original recipe actually didn’t specify that it has to be made with whisk(e)y—just any spirit. “So make it with anything you like!” he says. “A Bourbon Old Fashioned is a delight, but I’ve tried versions with Pisco, Tequila, Cognac, Jamaican rum, the list goes on.” At Forsythia, Ware’s Old Fashioned variations may feature whiskey bases, but he likes to throw other spirits in the mix to keep things interesting. His Rich & Porcini ($18) mixes Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, porcini-infused Stray Dog gin, Catskill Provisions maple syrup, and Bittermens Scarborough bitters; his Chamomile Fields ($18) features Redemption rye, Gualco Camomilla grappa-based chamomile liqueur, Cardamaro amaro, honey syrup, and Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters; and his Nord E Sud ($18) blends
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Nardini Bianca grappa, Bresca Dorada Mirto Rosso di Sardegna liqueur, and Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-aged bitters. “As an Italian restaurant, our Old Fashioneds still have whiskey bases like the classic, but incorporate cool Italian ingredients like grappa and a Sardinian myrtle berry liqueur called Mirto,” Ware adds. “The flavors are influenced by Italy enough to make it interesting and different, but stay accessible enough that regular Old Fashioned drinkers are into it.”
Tao Group’s McCutcheon brings similar excitement to her Old Fashioned-style drinks with additional spirits and other interesting ingredients. At the group’s Sake No Hana in New York City, her Liquid Swords ($21) features Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Suntory Toki, Minoki rum, house-made miso caramel, Angostura Orange bitters, and a touch of MSG, and at The Highlight Room in New York City, her Cereal Killer ($20) comprises Apple Jacks cereal-infused Maker’s Mark, Remy Martin VSOP Cognac, simple syrup, and Hella Cocktail Co. Apple Blossom bitters. “I love that the Old Fashioned can be as classic and simple or as extravagant and seasonal as you want to make it—the base recipe is a blank canvas you can be so creative with,” McCutcheon says. “Traditional, spirit-forward drinkers can enjoy the classic version, while more trendy sippers will love the unique flavor combinations of modern takes on it, enticing them to order one even when they might not have otherwise.”
Butcher Bar’s Marino encourages all of the bartenders on his staff to think outside the box with their Old Fashioned variations, bringing in liqueurs and syrups rather than just sugar. “That way we’re always adding another layer of complexity and flavor instead of simply sweetening our cocktails,” he explains. Bartender Tom Foy’s The Other Lindros ($16) features equal parts Sagamore Rum Cask Finish rye and Appleton Estate Signature Jamaica rum, plus Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane banana liqueur, demerara syrup, and Angostura Aromatic and Orange bitters, served in a Vieux Carre absinthe-rinsed rocks glass; and bartender Tom Briola’s Mr. B. ($16) mixes Wild Turkey rye, Drambuie Scotch whisky liqueur, and house-made red wine syrup and cola bitters.
“You can really adapt and customize the Old Fashioned recipe across the board,” The Katharine’s Rankin says. “For example, if you’re not a fan of Bourbon, you can opt for a rum or mezcal Old Fashioned. You can also experiment with different bitters, which opens up a huge world of flavors. The bitters alone can transform a cocktail. As long as you have those three things—spirit, sugar element, and bitters—there are endless possibilities.”
Liay points out that following the agave spirits boom of recent years, the Oaxacan Old Fashioned—which was invented by New York bartender Phil Ward in 2007 and features Tequila or mezcal rather than whisk(e)y—has really taken off. At Butcher and the Boar, his South of the Border ($16) is a take on this modern classic, blending Herradura Double Barrel Reposado Tequila, Exotico Blanco Tequila, Cihuatán Jade 4-year-old rum, demerara Syrup, Regan’s No. 6 Orange bitters, and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters. At 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami, meanwhile, Steven Minor, corporate beverage director for hotel owner SH Hotels & Resorts, offers the Holy Mole ($22), featuring espresso-infused Mijenta Reposado Tequila, Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio Sherry, Giffard crème de cacao, and Hella Cocktail Co. Mexican Chocolate bitters. And at Little Coyote, Poe’s Oaxacan Old Fashioned ($14) mixes Dulce Vida Reposado 100 proof Tequila, Fidencio mezcal, Xila aperitif, rich turbinado syrup, Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters, and Angostura Orange bitters. “I’m really enjoying making different versions of Oaxacan Old Fashioneds right now,” Poe notes. “I think we’re going to see the Old Fashioned move more into alternative spirits such as rum and brandy, as there’s a much larger availability of affordable aged spirits in these categories.”
Rum-based Old Fashioneds are indeed becoming more common and perhaps are the next big thing for the cocktail category. At 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Princeville, Hawaii, Minor’s 182 Seconds ($22) comprises Appleton Estate 8-year-old rum, house-made spiced charred pineapple syrup, and Angostura bitters; at Wilder in Philadelphia, beverage manager Tom Brander’s Rum Old Fashioned ($18) mixes Tanduay Double and Tenango rums, house-made sarsaparilla and turbinado syrups, Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters, and Angostura bitters; and at Branja in Miami, beverage director Clay Crocker’s Smoke and Espejos ($18) is cherry wood-smoked and features Brugal 1888 rum, Nonino amaro, house-made espresso-infused demerara syrup, and The Bitter Truth Chocolate bitters. “This specific rum plays well in the idea of an Old Fashioned because of its low sugar content, and pairing it with a semi-sweet amaro like Nonino was a no-brainer, as was using chocolate bitters to be more restrained than a traditional aromatic bitter like Angostura,” Crocker says. “Espresso demerara furthers the idea of adding restrained sweetness, so as to not overpower the rum and to allow it to shine through. Smoking an Old Fashioned is nothing new and Brugal was the perfect fit for this. While many rums are aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, Brugal is additionally aged in ex-Sherry barrels—smoking it helps the additional cask maturation come through, enhancing all the flavors. The end result is a cocktail that’s complex and delicious, and a showstopper when it hits the table.”
