Old Fashioned 101

Great little single-page* website by Martin Doudoroff on the Old Fashioned:

Circa 1800, the Cocktail was a “hair of the dog” morning drink that tamed spirits with water, sugar and bitters (patent medicine). The late 19th Century expanded the use of the word “cocktail” to encompass just about any mixed drink. Since then, the Old Fashioned — literally, the old-fashioned way of making a cocktail — has been our contemporary expression of the original drink.

During the 20th Century, various bad ideas encrusted the Old Fashioned. Here we will strip off those barnacles to expose the amazingly simple and sublime drink beneath.

* Technically, there’s a page 2, which is worth reading as well.

★ Friday, 26 December 2014