Old Fashioned family
Old Fashioned
Made with rich simple syrup (2:1) · United States, 1880
- rocks
- one large cube
- stir
Old Fashioned
- 2 oz60 ml bourbon or rye whiskey
- ¼ oz7 ml rich simple syrup (2:1)
- 2 dashes2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Put the syrup and bitters in a rocks glass, then add the whiskey.
- Add one large ice cube and stir for 20–30 seconds, until cold and slightly diluted.
- Squeeze an orange peel over the drink to spray its oils, run it around the rim, and drop it in.
Garnish: orange peel
The syrup
In this recipe
Rich Simple Syrup (2:1)¼ oz7 ml
Rich simple syrup is two parts sugar to one part water by weight: 400 g sugar dissolved in 200 ml hot water.
As printed: 1/4 oz rich simple syrup (2:1) (Imbibe); Savoy 1930: 1 lump of sugar
Or use
Demerara Syrup¼ oz7 ml
Demerara syrup is demerara sugar dissolved in water, usually rich: 2 parts sugar to 1 part water by weight.
Same 2:1 strength as rich simple; swap 1:1 for a toffee-edged Old Fashioned.
As printed: 1/4 oz rich simple syrup (2:1) (Imbibe)
Or use
Classic Simple Syrup⅓ oz10 ml
Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, heated just until the sugar dissolves.
1:1 is about 2/3 as sweet as 2:1, so 2 tsp (1/3 oz) replaces 1/4 oz rich syrup.
As printed: Punch: 1 sugar cube, or a heaping 1/4 oz simple syrup (1:1)
Or use
Gum Syrup (Gomme Syrup)¼ oz7 ml
Gum syrup (gomme) is rich sugar syrup thickened with gum arabic, which gives cocktails a silky texture.
Our gum syrup is 2:1, so it swaps 1:1 for rich simple and adds a silkier texture.
As printed: Jerry Thomas 1862 Whiskey Cocktail: 3–4 dashes gum syrup
Where it comes from
By 1880 Chicago drinkers were asking for 'old-fashioned' cocktails, meaning the plain mix of whiskey, sugar, water and bitters rather than the newer fancy versions. The Savoy Cocktail Book printed it in 1930 as a sugar lump crushed with Angostura and topped with rye.
Source: The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock (1930).
Checked against: Punch – Old-Fashioned · Imbibe Magazine – Old Fashioned Cocktail · Cocktail Kingdom Library – Old Fashioned · The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) – archive.org scan · Jerry Thomas, How to Mix Drinks (1862) – archive.org scan
The Savoy Cocktail Book (Harry Craddock)
Gear for this drink
Mixology & Craft 16-Piece Cocktail Shaker Set
OXO SteeL Angled Measuring Jigger
Best for Measuring syrup into drinks