As its name suggests, the Old-Fashioned has long been a representation of a bygone era. “The Old-Fashioned was a drinker’s plea for a saner, quieter, slower life,” writes David Wondrich in his 2007 book, Imbibe! Its name harks back to this very plea for simplicity—before the modern, adulterated cocktails of the 1890s, which had abandoned the definitive cocktail construction of spirit, bitters, sugar and water with the unsanctioned additions of Chartreuse, maraschino, vermouth and other modifiers. The Old-Fashioned’s relative simplicity, meanwhile, is what has allowed it to endure for generations.
But that doesn’t mean that modern-day versions of the drink don’t seek to put a spin on it. Today, the pared-back drink has traveled the world and tried on everything from mezcal to Corn Pops; that’s the benefit of such a permutable formula. What else is the Old-Fashioned capable of? To find out, try some of our favorite takes on the template.
The Best Modern Old-Fashioned Recipes
