Until I read Imbibe by David Wondrich, a wonderfully nerdy book about the history of boozin', I thought an old-fashioned was bourbon served over ice, sugar, bitters, and a muddle of oranges and maraschino cherries. But turns out, that fruit-laden recipe is pretty much the antithesis of what an old-fashioned cocktail was intended to be. 
When bartenders first started serving cocktails, they were ridiculously simple: some type of spirit (usually bourbon or gin), gum syrup, bitters, and a shaving of nutmeg. But by the 1870s, so many variations had been introduced — the "fancy cocktail" with curaçoa, the absinthe "improved" version — that purists wanted a return to the original formula. Hence, the old-fashioned cocktail, with the slightly fancier lemon peel taking the place of nutmeg. To get the recipe, read more.
It may sound off-puttingly simple, but I think you'll be surprised at how complex this old-fashioned tastes. If you have simple syrup made, you can use that instead of the water and sugar, but either one works. As a great showcase for bourbon, it would make an ideal drink for a Kentucky Derby party.
Modified From Imbibe
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon water
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces bourbon
1 twist of lemon peel
Ice
Directions
- Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon sugar with a little water in a whiskey glass. Or place 1 teaspoon of simple syrup in the glass.
- Add 2 dashes Angostura biters, a small piece of ice, a small piece of lemon peel, and one jigger bourbon.
- Mix with a small barspoon and serve.
Makes 1 drink.
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Bonprix
Odille
Vivance
I love old fashioneds! But it's always so different everywhere I go. Some places add soda water and others swear a "proper" old fashioned uses Rye instead of bourbon.
I look forward to trying this recipe. But for a Kentucky Derby party, you better be using Woodford Reserve Bourbon...the official derby bourbon.
1I love old fashioneds and the simple cocktails. I usually don't know like to drink all those fancy fru fru drinks you always see on the menus anymore.
2Neat.
3Still needs muddled orange and couple of maraschino cherries at the bottom of the glass, add some cherry liquid to the mix, then bitters, simple syrup, squeeze of lemon, bourbon, ice......yummy! Also can add some Peychaud bitters to the angostura bitters; adds a slight cinnamon typw flavor.
4my favorite cocktail!
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