Beyond Bourbon: 5 Things You Never Knew About the Old Fashioned

1.0 Introduction: The Enduring Allure of a Seemingly Simple Drink

On the surface, the Old Fashioned is a study in minimalist construction. It’s an icon built on four pillars: spirit, sugar, bitters, and ice. Served in a heavy-bottomed tumbler, it feels timeless, a direct link to a bygone era of dark wood bars and quiet confidence.

But what if I told you the original wasn't made with bourbon, wasn't served over a perfect ice sphere, and was probably consumed warm at breakfast? The Old Fashioned you know and love is a modern creature, shaped by geography, technology, and even politics.

Beneath this straightforward exterior lies a surprisingly complex and debated history. The drink we know today is the result of over two centuries of evolution, rebellion, and creative reinvention. From its origins as a morning tonic to its modern-day variations featuring bacon-infused bourbon, the story of the Old Fashioned is anything but simple. This article explores the most counter-intuitive facts and stories behind this beloved drink.

As cocktail historian Robert Simonson writes, the drink’s significance is undeniable.

“No single cocktail is as iconic, as beloved, or as discussed and fought-over as the Old Fashioned.”

2.0 Five Surprising Truths About the Old Fashioned

2.1 The First "Cocktail" Was Actually an Old Fashioned

That's right—the Old Fashioned isn't just a classic cocktail; its core formula is the very definition from which all other cocktails evolved. When the word "cocktail" first appeared in print, it didn't describe a broad category of mixed drinks. In a world already populated by cobblers, coolers, and flips, the term "cocktail" was new and highly specific.

In the May 13, 1806, edition of The Balance and Columbian Repository, an editor responded to a reader's inquiry by printing the first-ever definition of the term:

“Cocktail, then, is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters - it is vulgarly called bittered sling.”

This historical fact is profound. This simple, potent template—spirit, sugar, water, and bitters—is the foundational formula of the Old Fashioned. Every Martini, Daiquiri, and Manhattan we enjoy today evolved from this blueprint. The Old Fashioned stands as the grandfather of them all.

2.2 It Was Originally a Warm Breakfast Drink (and Probably Made with Rye)

Forget the single large ice cube; the first Old Fashioneds were served warm. In the early 1800s, the drink was consumed as a morning "eye-opening tonic." Ice only became a standard component in cocktails around the 1860s, thanks to the flourishing ice trade. Before then, what we now call an Old Fashioned was a room-temperature tipple meant to start the day.

Furthermore, the spirit of choice was almost certainly rye. The great bourbon versus rye debate is a modern one. Historically, cocktails were a "Yankee thing," and the North drank rye. As one historian notes, there was little chance of bourbon creeping up to New York in significant volume right after the Civil War, when Southern imports weren't a priority and a close connection still existed with Northern rye growers and distillers via the Erie Canal. Bourbon, a Southern product that wasn't even a recognized and protected spirit in the U.S. until the 1960s, gained popularity in the recipe much later.

2.3 The Muddled Fruit Salad is a Prohibition-Era Cover-Up

That muddled orange slice and bright red maraschino cherry in your glass? They're not part of the original recipe. This popular addition is believed to have become widespread during Prohibition (1920-1933), likely as a way to mask the harsh flavors of low-quality bootleg whiskey—though, as a historian, I must add the crucial caveat that no one really knows for sure.

This fruit-laden version stands in stark contrast to the drink's original ethos. In the 1870s and 1880s, as bartenders began creating "Improved" cocktails with fancy additions like absinthe and maraschino liqueur, purists pushed back. They began ordering a whiskey cocktail made "the old-fashioned way" to specify they wanted the original, back-to-basics formula. This pushback—this specific request for a drink made the 'old-fashioned' way—is precisely how the cocktail got its name.

This isn't to say the fruit-forward version doesn't have its champions. The Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned is a proud and defiant regional tradition that has become the state's unofficial cocktail. As a governor's proclamation proudly states, Wisconsinites are the number one consumers of Korbel Brandy in the nation, and their version—made with brandy, muddled fruit, and a citrus soda topper—is a beloved point of state pride.

2.4 It's a Formula, Not a Recipe (And Yes, You Can Add Bacon)

The true genius of the Old Fashioned is its template: spirit, sugar, bitters, water. This simple structure makes it endlessly adaptable, a perfect canvas for modern bartenders to express their creativity. The classic bourbon or rye version is just the beginning. Today's riffs showcase an incredible range of flavors.

• Spirit Swap: Beyond bourbon or rye, bartenders use mezcal for a smoky kick, aged rum for tropical depth, gin for a botanical twist, and even apple brandy for a touch of autumnal fruit.
• Sweetener Swap: The simple sugar cube has been replaced with everything from rich maple syrup and floral honey to nutty orgeat (almond syrup) and bright strawberry-vanilla syrup.
• Unorthodox Infusions: A modern technique called "fat-washing" has opened up a new world of savory flavors. Created by bartender Don Lee in 2008 at New York's legendary speakeasy PDT, the Benton's Old Fashioned became a modern classic by washing bourbon with the smoky essence of Benton's bacon fat. Other bartenders have followed suit, infusing spirits with the nutty, rich flavor of brown butter.

2.5 The Name "Cocktail" Might Be Thanks to a Horse's Tail

While we know what "cocktail" meant in 1806, we don't know for sure where the word came from. The term's true origin is a historical mystery, but several compelling theories compete for the title.

1. The Egg-Cup Theory: The word may be a mispronunciation of the French coquetier, an egg-cup that a New Orleans apothecary named Antoine Amédée Peychaud supposedly used to serve his brandy and bitters concoctions.
2. The Dregs Theory: The name could derive from "cock tailings," a term for the mixed dregs from the spigots (or "cocks") of nearly empty liquor barrels, which were combined and sold cheaply.
3. The Docked Horse Theory: In the 19th century, horses that were not thoroughbreds had their tails docked, which made them stick up like a rooster's, hence a "cocked" tail. The term was then applied to spirits that were "adulterated" or mixed with other ingredients like sugar and bitters.

While all three theories have their champions, most cocktail historians find the link to horse racing the most compelling explanation.

3.0 Conclusion: The Ever-Evolving Classic

The Old Fashioned's history is a battle for its own soul—a constant tug-of-war between purists and innovators. It is at once the simplest of drinks and a vessel for boundless creativity, evolving from a warm morning medicine to a fruit-filled concoction and finally back to its minimalist roots, all while inspiring a universe of modern variations.

The next time you hold that heavy-bottomed glass, you're not just holding a drink; you're holding a debate over 200 years in the making. The only question is, which side are you on?