Cheers! Old-Fashioned Week is here; tips on how to make this classic cocktail at home

The old-fashioned cocktail. l SUPPLIED

The old-fashioned cocktail. l SUPPLIED

Published Nov 4, 2022

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It’s that time of the year again to honouring the father of cocktails, the Old Fashioned.

Old-Fashioned Week is celebrated globally, this year from today (November 5) to the 14th.

This annual event is a 10-day cocktail celebration for discerning whisk(e)y drinkers who appreciate an authentic craft cocktail. The perfect combination of a spirit, sweet, and bitter elements; the Old Fashioned is arguably the most sublime of all whisky cocktails.

If you are not familiar with the Old Fashioned, then here is what you need to know, along with an easy and delicious cocktail recipe.

What is an Old Fashioned?

A sophisticated blend of bourbon, bitters, water, and sugar, the old-fashioned cocktail has roots that date back to the 1800s.

The name originates from the way it is made, with people heading to cocktail bars and requesting for their drink to be created the “old-fashioned way”.

Traditionally “the old-fashioned way” was to take a whisky glass and add a lump of sugar, dissolving it with a small amount of water. The bartender would then add two dashes of bitters, a lump of ice, and a miniature bar spoon.

They would then hand it to the customer, along with a bottle of bourbon, and allow them to pour their own drink. For many years bartenders around the globe have placed their own twists on the classic cocktail.

To celebrate this year’s occasion, the team at House of Angostura and Woodford Reserve have partnered together and invite you to celebrate this iconic drink by joining the rest of the world in honouring this timeless tipple and making it at home.

The old-fashioned cocktail. l SUPPLIED

Old-fashioned

Ingredients

60ml Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select

3 – 4 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters

1 teaspoon sugar or sugar cube

Orange peel

Ice

Method

Add sugar and bitters into a rocks glass and stir until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Fill the glass with ice, add the bourbon, and gently stir to combine. Express the oil of an orange peel over the glass, then drop it into the glass to garnish.

Have you checked out the latest IOL Food & Drinks digital magazine? Read it here.

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