Ingredients
- 2 ozaged rum
- ¼ ozdemerara syrup
- 2 dashesangostura bitters
- 🍋Orange peel, cherry(garnish)
Instructions
- Add rum, demerara syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 20-30 seconds until well chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Express orange peel over the drink and drop it in.
- Optionally add a cocktail cherry.
- Serve immediately.
📜 History
The Old Fashioned predates the very word "cocktail," representing the original template of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters defined in 1806. While bourbon and rye dominate the modern conversation, rum was actually America's first distilled spirit, arriving from the Caribbean long before corn discovered its destiny. Trader Vic included a Rum Old Fashioned in his 1947 Bartender's Guide, and the drink also appeared in the 1930s Bar Florida guide from Cuba. When made with quality aged rum, the cocktail reveals tropical undertones of vanilla, caramel, and baking spices that complement the aromatic bitters beautifully. Demerara syrup, made from partially refined sugar originating from Guyana, adds another layer of molasses richness that feels completely natural with Caribbean rum.