What is an Old Fashioned and where does it come from? | How to Drink

A longer look at the Old-Fashioned and how to make it 5 different ways, covering its evolution from 1850-2019. That’s right: FIVE DRINKS.

************

Shop for spirits online at: http://bit.ly/H2D-Spirits-Old-Fashioned
Very first Episode of HTD: https://youtu.be/mf1ax7y0yyI
You can Pre-Order Mid-Century Cocktail here:
https://amzn.to/2Xd7lzb

This week on How to Drink I’m doing a deep dive into the Old Fashioned tracing it’s evolution from the room-temperature "Cocktail" of the 1850’s all the way up to today’s spirit forward speakeasy friendly drink in 2019. I make five drinks along the way, and truth be told there’s probably a lot more I could have done with this drink (the cocktail "schism" that coined the name "Old-Fashioned" was tied to reconstruction era politics and that’s a whole lot to unpack) but this episode was already twenty minutes long so I figured we save that for another day.

The 1850’s Cocktail
1 sugar cube Soak with bitters
~ 2oz. -or- 60 ml. of spirit (I go with Genever here)
~ 3oz. -or- 90 ml. of Water (could be less)
Stir till sugar dissolves
Garnish with grated nutmeg (or the twist of your choice)

1860’s Improved Whiskey Cocktail
2 bar-spoons of Gum Syrup
1 dash of Curaçao
1 Dash of Maraschino
1-2 dashes of Absinthe
2-4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. Rye
Garnish with Flamed Orange Twist

1870’s Old-Fashioned Cocktail
Sugar Cube soaked in Bitters
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. Rye
Stir over ice
Garnish with Twist of Lemon or Orange

The Mid-Century Old-Fashioned
1 wedge of Orange
2 Maraschino Cherries
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. Bourbon
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Muddle fruit and drink together
bury in cracked ice and stir

The Modern Old-Fashioned
~ .25 -or- 8 ml. Demerara Syrup
Two Dashes Angostura Bitters
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. Bourbon
Stir over big ice
Garnish with Orange Twist

Most of the tools and gear I use on the show can be found on my gear page at: http://bit.ly/H2DGear BUT, here’s a couple of links that everyone is almost always asking me about:

Koriko Weighted Shaker Tins: https://amzn.to/2MvyOWs
Koriko Hawthorne Strainer: https://amzn.to/2IAZrHr
Leopold Jigger: https://amzn.to/2KsBu6B
Imbibe! By David Wondrich: https://amzn.to/2Kv1dLN
Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold: https://amzn.to/2N885jP


Slowly but surely, I’m starting a mailing list so that I’m not fully dependent on YT’s algorithmized notifications system. If you’ll sign up, I promise not to abuse your generosity, or sell your info to anyone. It’s over on the blog right here:
http://bit.ly/H2DBlog

**********

twitter: http://bit.ly/H2DTwit
instagram: http://bit.ly/H2dIG
Blog: http://bit.ly/H2DBlog
Patreon: http://bit.ly/H2DPatreon
Gear: http://bit.ly/H2DGear

**********

Music by Glen Crytzer: http://bit.ly/2KjujSg

*************

Incredibly Awesome Patrons who make this show possible!
Aditya Choksi
Anthony Elias
Brandon Wilson
Dan Blackett
Dennis Groome
Harold Gonzales
Jacob Willemsma
Per Kackman Persson
Rachel Keys
Rob Hayward
Rob L
Rosemary H. Andrus
Ryan Wolfe
Shelby Benton
Trip Brennan
Whiskey Tribe
William Sender

Directed by: Greg
Edited by: Rachel Ambelang & Greg
Produced by: Meredith Engstrom & Stefano Pennisi & Greg
Cinematography by: Bernard Hunt
Created by: Greg