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Drinks

OLD FASHIONED

Classic
ballantines B7 old fashioned

Our favourite way to enjoy a scotch Old Fashioned is with Ballantine’s 7 AMERICAN Barrel, plus a couple of dashes of orange bitters to complement the sweet notes of our scotch whisky.

What does an Old Fashioned taste like?

A classic Old Fashioned is a short drink that tastes perfectly sweet, spicy and smooth. The mixture of bitters and whisky creates a rich, intense serve, sweetened by the addition of a muddled sugar cube.

We make our Old Fashioned with Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel for a honeyed, smooth finish. But if you like your drinks super sugared, there are a few fun ways to make an Old Fashioned even sweeter. Try yours with a dash of honey or maple syrup, a popular Canadian twist. Or get fruity with extra orange, a smash of blueberry or turn heads with our Apple Cider Old Fashioned.

Old Fashioned INGREDIENTS

How to make an Old Fashioned

  • Add the sugar cube to a tumbler and soak with the bitters
  • Muddle into a paste
  • Add the ice cubes, pour over the Ballantine’s 7 and stir for a couple of minutes
  • Add your orange peel garnish and a couple more ice cubes, if required
  • Enjoy!

How to order an Old Fashioned in a bar

There’s no wrong way to order an Old Fashioned, simply state what you want and how you want it. Start by saying the type of whisky you fancy, followed by any tweaks you want to make. It could be with a twist, an extra dash of bitters or syrup instead of sugar.

Not sure where to start? Stick to a classic with our go-to order… ‘Pour me an Old Fashioned with Ballantine’s and an orange twist thanks’. Discover more ways to order scotch at a bar.

old fashioned cocktail recipe - Ballantine's

Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel

Ballantine's 7 American barrel finish

Old Fashioned: a cocktail history lesson

The Old Fashioned is where it all started. The classic four-ingredient combo (spirit, sugar, water and bitters) was the first official ‘cock-tail’, as referenced by a reader of a New York newspaper. But aside from this initial mention, the history of the Old Fashioned is an uncertain one.

Some say the Old Fashioned originated in late 17th century London around the time aromatic bitters came to town. Others claim it all began with the bartender James E. Pepper in 1880, who served it to guests of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Bar after discovering the drink in a Louisville private social club. (Louisville are pretty confident the latter is the truth, declaring it their official cocktail in 2015, and whose to argue?).

Either way, the Old Fashioned continued to gain a must-try reputation, becoming an iconic Prohibition-Era cocktail and staple on every bar menu across the world. And despite its name, there’s nothing uncool about it. Over the last few hundred years, bartenders have been mixing up their own versions, many of which are classics in their own right. So, how will you drink it?

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