Old-Fashioned History & Recipes

In line with this month’s celebrations, we decided to take a deep dive into how the Old Fashioned cocktail came to life and share some of our favorite recipes.

It all began at the Pendennis Club located in Louisville, Kentucky in 1880. Legend has it that bartender and esteemed bourbon aristocrat, James E. Pepper, made the very first Old Fashioned when a guest ordered a cocktail but warned James that he wasn’t a fan of Bourbon. Not wanting to serve a non-Bourbon drink in the Bluegrass, James concocted a cocktail that ended up being a huge hit with the customer.

Though similar versions were possibly being mixed in the same time period, it was the first documented proof of a recipe being called the “Old Fashioned” versus any drink made in the “old-fashioned way” which was mixing spirits with sweetener and fruit.

In 2015 Louisville laid claim to this spirited history when the city’s Mayor proclaimed the Old Fashioned “Louisville’s Official Cocktail.”

To try out some of our favorite Old-Fashioned recipes click on the links below:

• Pendennis Club Old Fashioned
• Maple Old Fashioned
• Amaro Fashioned
• Old Fashioned