Archive · 26 Aug 2026
The Old Fashioned Endures Through History, Television, and Reinvention
The Old Fashioned is a cocktail that has been popular for more than 200 years.
Its basic recipe uses whiskey, sugar, and bitters.
Water, ice, and stirring help blend and soften the drink.
An orange peel and cherry are often added at the end.
The drink became fashionable again after appearing in Mad Men.
The character Don Draper often ordered it on the show.
Bartenders today create new versions while keeping the original idea.
One modern version adds miso and maple syrup for sweet and savory flavors.
The drink remains popular because it is simple and lets the whiskey’s flavor stand out.
The Old Fashioned combines bourbon whiskey, sugar, bitters, water, ice, and traditionally an orange-peel and cherry garnish.
The word “cocktail” was first documented in 1806 in The Balance and Columbian Repository.
A popular theory credits the cocktail’s creation to a bartender at Louisville’s Pendennis Club in 1881.
The drink gained renewed popularity through Don Draper’s appearances in the television series Mad Men.
Modern versions include Idoru’s Miso Maple Old Fashioned with dark miso, maple syrup, tamari bitters, and peated single malt.
- Who
- Bartenders, whisky aficionados, and cocktail enthusiasts, including mixologists Kripal Singh and Rahul Kamath, are associated with the drink’s history and modern versions.
- What
- The Old Fashioned is a classic whiskey cocktail that has endured through changing tastes and inspired modern reinterpretations.
- When
- Its history reaches back more than two centuries; the word “cocktail” was documented in 1806, and a commonly cited creation story dates the drink to 1881.
- Where
- The drink is associated with Louisville, Kentucky, New York, and contemporary cocktail bars including ZLB 23 in Bengaluru and Idoru.
- Why
- Its simple balance of spirit, sweetness, bitters, and dilution allows the whiskey’s character to remain central while leaving room for creative variations.
- Core ingredients
- 60 ml bourbon whiskey, one sugar cube, and three dashes of Angostura bitters
- Preparation
- Muddle the sugar and bitters with a small amount of water, then stir the bourbon with ice until chilled and diluted
- Traditional garnish
- Fresh ice, an orange peel, and a cherry
- Earliest cocktail reference
- The term “cocktail” appeared in 1806 in The Balance and Columbian Repository
- Common origin theory
- A bartender at Louisville’s Pendennis Club reportedly created the drink in 1881 before it reached the Waldorf Astoria in New York
- Television influence
- Don Draper’s preference for the drink in Mad Men helped renew its popularity
- Modern interpretation
- Idoru’s Miso Maple Old Fashioned combines dark miso, maple syrup, tamari bitters, and a float of peated single malt