This is the first ever guest post here at Whiskygrotto.com. Sarah wrote me a while ago and asked if she could contribute with a guestpost. Of course! I said as long as it’s about Scotch Whisky or Whiskey. Here it is:
The history of this whiskey-based cocktail is so extensive that it traces back further than the martini itself. Dating back to the nineteenth century, the drink was originally called a “whiskey cocktail” until the martini and manhattan of the late 19th century forced purists to order an “old fashioned” whiskey cocktail, thereby securing the name for the centuries to come.
The first documented instance of the word cocktail as referencing the current “Old-Fashioned” dates to May, 13 1806 in which the Balance and Columbia Repository defined the drink as the concoction of whiskey, bitters, water, and sugar. When the martini and manhattan became revitalized during the 1970sand 80s, this previous whiskey cocktail developed a new taste, resulting in the old-fashioned as we know it to be today. The austerity which defined it before as holding simple rye with minuscule touches of water, bitters, and sugar was revolutionized to include an orange slice, maraschino cherry, and a diluting dose of soda water. The recent popularity the drink has had among trendy bars in New York stands as a testament to the whiskey cocktail’s staying power and ability to transcend through generations.
Most cocktail aficionados maintain that the old-fashioned is one of the original cocktails, in the true sense of the world. Most modern cocktails do not hold a candle to the drink that is the old-fashioned. While the drink remains popular in bars across the country, many newcomers who think they have a handle on what they consider to be a cocktail are still amazed at the “bitterness” which the drink gives off. However, there are still a few bars which allow the drink to return to its true roots (its integrity), by appealing to a very specific cocktail connoisseur. Many “purists” refuse the addition of soda water to an old-fashion and argue that this is not the proper way to make the drink.
The practice of adding fruit to the mixture likely began during the Prohibition in an effort to hide the bitter taste of the drink itself. However, there are many other theories to explain why the many fruits are now added to the drink, including replacing the fruit with bitters in areas where only citrus fruit grow (Florida and California). Within the whiskey world, true purists will resort back to the original inception of the drinking, letting go of the “new” practice of fruit and soda water, instead opting for the bitters, water, and sugar in the way their ancestors drank it.
This post was contributed by Sarah Russel, who writes about the top rated colleges. She welcomes your feedback at SarahRussel1234 at gmail.com
Listen to this post
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the article Sarah, a good short read despite a couple typo’s. The Old Fashioned is definitely my favorite cocktail. I like all of my cocktails to be as “natural” as possibly, as I think mixing large amounts of sugar with alcohol is disgusting and also causes bad hangovers! I order one just about every time I go out, I have noticed that EVERY bartender makes them different. I agree with the purists, soda water has no place in an old fashioned. I do have to say I have a penchant for bitter drinks, like pale ale and the old fashioned, so I am probably a little biased. And also I agree that it transcends generations, as I am 24 and the old fashioned has been my poison for 2 years now. A lot of times when I order one people around me will ask what it is, despite it being one of the original cocktails not many people in this day and age know it even exists. I would suggest only ordering this drink from trusted experienced bartenders, and don’t use well bourbon! A bad old fashioned is REALLY BAD!
I remember the first time I ordered one. I was 21 or 22 and my family and a couple friends we out to drink at a restaurant. I was going over the drink menu when I saw it, THE OLD FASHIONED. I promptly ordered it, and my mother’s friend’s husband (who is a huge jackass and alcoholic), asked me if I ever tried one. I said no, and he told me that “you should never order a drink that you haven’t tried at a restaurant just incase you don’t like it”. He basically didn’t think I could handle the drink and says snarky little comments like that all the time. So i sipped it down and loved it. Then I ordered another one ( I wasn’t driving) just to spite him. If I had taken his poor advice, which he doles out constantly, I would have never found my favorite drink.
QNOS8J kugfjgmwxurx, [url=http://xvnhldztigvj.com/]xvnhldztigvj[/url], [link=http://mgjolzisxpgf.com/]mgjolzisxpgf[/link], http://bckghrcxkzov.com/