During a recent conversation with friends about cocktails, specifically the old fashioned, a quick search of the blog from my phone left me quite embarrassed.  I could not believe I have posted several variations of this classic, but never celebrated the original. Well, it is time to rectify that oversight tonight! This cocktail is considered one of the six basic drinks documented in David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. It’s earliest reference is in an 1806 response to a letter as the definition of a ‘cocktail’ – to wit – a potent concoction of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar. That is the very definition of the classic Old Fashioned, which really explains how this tipple received its name. I can see some old timer asking for an Old Fashioned and the bartender knowing that it simply meant whiskey, bitters, sugar, and water, preferably heavy on the whiskey pour.  Through the past two centuries, this cocktail has been made with gin, whiskey, brandy as well as suffered through incarnations with added liqueurs. I am part of the purist mindset when it comes to the Old Fashioned – if you add anything but the basics, it is a different cocktail, which is fine, but it is not an Old fashioned. And that belief is supported easily enough in the wide range of Manhattan variants I have posted. Now, I will contemplate switching out the bitters to tweak the flavor profile as a common preference just as the difference between using rye instead of bourbon impacts the flavor. So if you think about it, the Old Fashioned is quite versatile with those simple, few ingredients. So let’s get busy enjoying Friday night with our dear old friend, the Old Fashioned!

Chill an old fashioned glass. Place a sugar cube in the chilled old fashioned glass with 2 – 3 dashes of bitters. Muddle with a splash of water until sugar is dissolved. Add ice and whiskey to the glass and stir to chill. Garnish with lemon twist or orange slice and a cherry.

Enjoy!