Place the sugar lump into an Old Fashioned glass, and then add bitters and water. If a drier drink is preferred, reduce the use of sugar to half a lump. Muddle to dissolve the sugar, add bourbon, stir well and add ice cubes. Twist lemon peel over he drink and garnish with orange slice and cocktail cherry.
The Old Fashioned is steeped in American cocktail folklore. Although its origin is questioned by some cocktail historians, the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, is reputed to be its birthplace.
No catalog of classic concoctions would be complete without the Old Fashioned. One of the earliest definitions of the word ‘cocktail’ ever found in print (1806) describes the proper formula as ‘spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters,’ which is exactly what an Old Fashioned is made of, hence its name.
One of the bartenders at the Pendennis Club is credited with the introduction of the Old Fashioned, which he made at the request of Colonel James E. Pepper, a bourbon distiller of a celebrated whiskey label and a prominent member at the Pendennis.
It was at the Pendennis Club that a bartender first added soda and Angostura® aromatic bitters to a sweetened bourbon-water concoction, calling it an Old Fashioned.
It is said that James E. Pepper brought the formula to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel bar in New York City and from there the Old Fashioned found its way across the globe to be enjoyed by a massive group of followers.
Today, Old Fashioneds are still one of the most popular bourbon drinks, along with Mint Julep and Whiskey Sour.
Old Fashioned cocktails, if properly mixed, leave a rather robust but flavourful impression on the taste buds. This cocktail combines the sweetness of sugar with the herbal bitterness of Angostura® aromatic bitters and smooth flavors of carefully selected bourbon. Instead of the classic sugar cube, the bartenders at the Pendennis nowadays use Finest Call Bar Syrup. An obvious choice, as Bill Hinkebein, Vice President Marketing American Beverage Marketeers, the makers of Finest Call, is a very prominent member of the Pendennis Club. The choice of Finest Call Bar Syrup works wonders in Old Fashioned cocktails. Finest Call Bar Syrup, bourbon, and Angostura® aromatic bitters make good teammates, as attested by the above recipe.
