Old Fashioned Cocktail

During his frequent stays in New York, often at the renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Colonel Pepper was known to socialize with other American captains of industry, such as John D. Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt, C.V. Vanderbilt, Charles A. Pillsbury, Fred Pabst, Charles L. Tiffany, and William Steinway. It was at the Waldorf that Colonel Pepper is credited with introducing the world to the "Old Fashioned" cocktail. This cocktail is said to have been invented in his honor by a bartender at the famous Pendennis Club in Louisville.

This story was retold in the recipe for the Old Fashioned cocktail in The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, published in 1935 after the repeal of Prohibition—and this classic recipe is the only cocktail we serve at the distillery.

Recipe: 'Old Fashioned' Old Fashioned

Ingredients

1.5oz 1776 Straight Rye (or Bourbon) Whiskey
1 cube white sugar
2 dashes Angostura® Aromatic Bitters
Splash of water
Lemon peel

STEP 1
Dissolve or muddle sugar with bitters and a splash of water in an Old Fashioned glass.

STEP 2
Add the ice. Recommended using one large cube or fill glass 3/4 full of ice.

STEP 3
Add 1.5oz 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey and stir.

STEP 4
Aromatize with citrus. Express lemon peel over your glass to release citrus oils.

STEP 5
Garnish with lemon peel and enjoy!