Old Fashioned – Woodford Reserve

The Old Fashioned was first created in the 1800s, so dates back to the earliest days of cocktails. Although, then it was known simply as Whiskey Cocktail, a drink which followed the basic formula for cocktails which included a spirit, sugar, water and bitters. As it was quick and simple to make with just some standard readily-available ingredients, it was originally enjoyed first thing in the morning as a hangover cure.

In the 1870s, bartenders were experimenting with drinks a lot more due to new liqueurs being accessible to them. This led to the simple Whiskey Cocktail being transformed again and again, using absinthe, curacao and Maraschino to enhance the flavours. Eventually, it reached a point where the Whiskey Cocktail was a completely different drink every time someone ordered it. This, understandably, was frustrating for regular bar-goers, so they started to request that the drink was made in the ‘old-fashioned’ way.