Old Fashioned - Recipe

Recipe

George Kappeler provides one of the earliest published recipes for an Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail, written in 1895, specifying the following (with a jigger being 1.5 US fluid ounces (44 ml)):

"Dissolve a small lump of sugar with a little water in a whiskey-glass; add two dashes Angostura bitters, a small piece ice, a piece lemon-peel, one jigger whiskey. Mix with small bar-spoon and serve, leaving spoon in glass." Kappeler also gives the recipe with brandy, Holland gin, and Old Tom gin.

Kappeler's Old Fashioned recipes are almost identical to his Cocktail recipes, the differences being the preparation method and the use of sugar and water in lieu of simple or gomme syrup.

A book by David Embury published in 1948 provides a slight variation,, specifying 12 parts American whiskey, 1 part simple syrup, 1-3 dashes Angostura bitters, a twist of lemon peel over the top, and serve garnished with the lemon peel and a maraschino cherry.

Two additional recipes from the 1900s vary in the precise ingredients, but omit the cherry which was introduced after 1930 as well as the soda water which the occasional recipe calls for. Orange bitters were a popular ingredient in the late 19th century, and for the second recipe, the Curaçao appears to have been added to increase the orange flavor.

Use old-fashioned cocktail glass. Sugar, 1 lump. Seltzer, 1 dash, and crush sugar with muddler. Ice, one square piece. Orange bitters, 1 dash. Angostura bitters, 1 dash. Lemon peel, 1 piece. Whiskey, 1 jigger. Stir gently and serve with spoon.

1 dash Angostura bitters, 1 dash Curaçao. Piece of cut loaf sugar. Dissolve in two spoonfuls of water 100% liquor as desired 1 piece ice in glass. Stir well and twist a piece of lemon peel on top and serve.