The Old Fashioned is often the entry point cocktail for many people mixing drinks at home and ordering at bars. It’s approachable with only 3 ingredients while still having a lot of flavor and complexity. The combination of whiskey, aromatic bitters, and sugar creates a beautiful drink that has stood the test of time. As the name implies, The Old Fashioned has a lot of history. Credited with being the first spirited beverage labeled as a “cocktail”, the Old Fashioned is the archetype for all cocktail recipes. The first printed mention of the drink is believed to be 1806 and hit its initial sipping stride in the 1880’s.
Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week & Charred Pineapple Coffee Old Fashioned
Mixing a spirit with sugar, bitters & ice (water) together created a vastly different drinking experience and was an alluring option compared to just sipping spirits neat at the time. Its name was not given from its inception, rather gained over time as new cocktails were mixed up, to differentiate it from the increasing number of mixed drinks being offered, devoted drinkers labeled it “that old-fashioned drink.” After a resurgence in the mid-century with more elaborate entertaining at home and affluence for some post-WWII to be able to frequent happy hours and dinners out, it sprung back into the imbibing public’s purview. The recipe becomes a bit muddled over the decades (literally getting a fruit cocktail concoction muddled into the drink), and then pared back to its original, simplistic glory in the late 90’s/early 2000s. The Old Fashioned’s base spirit can vary, but the 20th century and modern iteration is best known for using Bourbon. It holds its own on any cocktail menu today and has been riffed on countless times. It’s called a classic for a reason.
My recipe, like the Old Fashioned itself, is a call back to firsts. Elijah Craig was the first to char new oak barrels for aging his whiskey. This changed the game and led to what was eventually known as Bourbon. Barrel-aging plays a pivotal role in giving whiskey the characteristics that are essential for Bourbon. Elijah Craig Bourbon is made from 78% corn, a higher percentage than some others on the market. The smaller amount of rye in the mash lends a sweeter, less spice-heavy Bourbon. It’s then aged in level char 3 barrels for years. Vanilla, caramel, nutty, chocolate and baking spices notes make you want to savor each sip.
Gourmet cocktail kits for the Fall
Coffee and pineapple are dynamic flavor combination in drinks, but coffee can dominate and overwhelm other nuanced flavors in a drink. Adding whole coffee beans right into the mixing glass, this adds a slight hint of coffee to your Old Fashioned. The smokey, caramelized pineapple plays off of the caramel, chocolate and nutty notes of the Bourbon and coffee beautifully.
- 2 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
- 1/4 oz charred pineapple syrup (recipe here)
- 6 coffee beans
- 1 dash aromatic bitters
- garnish: pineapple leaves, cherry, orange peel
Add Elijah Craig bourbon, pineapple syrup, bitters and coffee beans into a mixing glass. Stir with ice for 30 seconds. Strain the drink into an old fashioned glass. Express orange peel over glass and discard. Garnish with pineapple leaves and cherry.
Charred Pineapple Syrup : 1 pineapple, sliced | 5 tbsp brown sugar – 1/2 tsp per side | 2 cups water | 3/4 cup sugar
Cut pineapple into 1/2 inch slices. Heat grill pan on medium high. add brown sugar coated pineapple slices grill for 10 mins on the first side. Flip and grill for 6-8 minutes on the other side. Removed from the grill. Slice in quarters. Blend pineapple with water and sugar until smooth . Staring through a fine mesh strainer into a jar. Store in the fridge for 2 weeks.
