OLD FASHIONED COCKTAIL - THE OLD FASHIONED WAY OF UPLIFTING YOUR SPIRITS

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It’s time to let the whisky do the talking.

History – A drink that stood the test of time

The old fashioned cocktail was the first beverage of its kind. It predated all other cocktails that came into existence, and has a lot of history behind it.

The term “cocktail” was defined in response to a reader’s query in 1806 to the “The Balance and Columbian Repository”. The Editor of the newspaper went on to define it as a potent concoction of bitters, spirits, sugar and water. It was also in vogue at the time as the “bittered sling”

J.E. Alexander also defined a cocktail in similar words in 1833. The cocktails he encountered at New York were made of gin, brandy, or rum, mixed with water, sugar and bitters.

The Old Fashioned Cocktail was born at the Pendennis Club, in Louisville, Kentucky. Here, a Bourbon whiskey cocktail came to be served under the moniker, “the Old fashioned”. 

The recipe owes its existence to a bartender at the club, who invented it in honour of 

Colonel James. E. Pepper, A prominent Bourbon distiller. Col. Pepper was responsible for bringing it over to the Waldorf Astoria bar in New York City. 

This drink has, over the years, become a standard by which a bartender tests the expertise of another practitioner of the craft. 

The influence of the old fashioned cocktail is such that it has left a lasting imprint on popular culture. 

Several popular characters that every layman with a television is familiar with, have kept the legacy of the Old fashioned alive to this day. Examples include, Don Draper from Mad Men, and Jacob Palmer from Crazy , Stupid, Love. 

These reasons enough, make the Old Fashioned Cocktail a must have drink.

Health Benefits: A cocktail a day keeps the sickness away

Health

·         Drinking an old fashioned cocktail significantly reduces your risk of developing heart disease

·         It reduces your risk of getting strokes

·         It Prevents formation of gall stones.

·         It helps relieve stress.

·         Reduces risk of obesity

Ingredients and Preparation: A drink of delight

Here we have a recipe for this historic drink

1.       Preparation Time: 5 min

2.       Serves: 1 person

3.       Level of cooking: Medium

Ingredients:

·         Sugar Cube

·         One large bottle of club Soda

·         2 oz. of Rye Whisky

·         1 Angostura Bitters

·         1 old fashioned glass

Directions:

• Keep the sugar cube in a glass (preferably an old one)
• Add a short splash of Club soda or plain water and 3 or 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters

·         Crush the sugar cube with a strong spoon

·         Add a small piece of ice, and a piece of lemon peel

·         Rotate the glass so that the sugar and bitters give the glass a lining

·         Add ice cubes

·         Pour in bourbon or rye of your choice

·         Mix thoroughly with a bar-spoon.

·         Serve the drink with a stirring rod

Modifications:

There have been several modifications over the course of the 2 centuries, in the preparation of the Old fashioned cocktail. These include the use of brandy and gin in place of Rye and Bourbon. 

Wisconsin was the place that was the first to substitute the use of Whisky with Brandy, and come out with the “Brandy Old fashioned”.

The addition of cherry toppings and orange slices for garnishing the Old Fashioned Cocktail was a practice that began in the 1930’s. 

You can try any of the above said methods, to come up with interesting flavours to tease your palate.

Nutrition Info:

·         Each glass of Old fashioned cocktail consists of

·         Calories: 154

·         Cholesterol: 0gm

·         Sugar: 3gms

Try this recipe out when to enjoy the taste of history