Whiskey Cocktails: Rye Whiskey

Old Fashioned

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Ingredients

1 oz. Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey Bottled-In-Bond

1 oz. Old Overholt Rye Whiskey

4 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

4 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters #6

0.25 oz. Rich simple syrup

Garnish

Orange twist
Lemon twist

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Stir 25-35 times. Strain into a double rocks glass and add ice. Garnish with lemon and orange twists.


Cocktail Story

Originally called the Whiskey Cocktail when this basic mix of whiskey, bitters, and sugar first appeared in Jerry Thomas’s 1862 Bartender’s Guide, the Old Fashioned has withstood the test of time due to its rustic simplicity. In the nineteenth century, cocktails were named simply after their main spirits: consider, for example, the Brandy Cocktail or the Genever Cocktail. When bartenders started mixing in different combinations of spirits, like absinthe, maraschino or Curaçao, fans of the old Whiskey Cocktail began asking for the “old fashioned” version of the classic drink. Prohibition prompted muddling new fruits to mask the flavor of cheap booze, and eventually, soda water even made its way into the recipe post-World War II, distancing the Old Fashioned from its own origins. The craft cocktail revival of recent years has inspired a return to the Old Fashioned’s roots, with most contemporary bars serving only the simplest and highest quality ingredients for a true taste of the past.