Discover our classic cocktails: Old Fashioned

If you’re looking for a classic cocktail, The Book Club – Shoreditch has you covered. Our menu features both bespoke cocktails and solid classics, including the famous Old Fashioned.

The Old Fashioned is a cocktail with a rich history. It’s based on one of the oldest known cocktail recipes from the early 19th century, and it remains a popular choice among cocktail connoisseurs today. According to an upstate New York newspaper editor, the original Old Fashioned recipe called for “a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.” Bartenders began documenting drink recipes in the mid-19th century, and an 1862 edition of “The Bar-Tender’s Guide” included a gin-based cocktail called the Old Fashioned. Over time, the recipe evolved, and traditionalists began asking for the old-fashioned version of the drink, with all the bells, whistles, enhancers, and liqueurs removed for a return to its roots.

The Old Fashioned is traditionally made with whiskey, although any base spirit can be used. Fragrant and spicy Angostura bitters are a must-have ingredient, and a twist of orange peel is the perfect garnish.

At The Book Club – Shoreditch, we mix the Old Fashioned as it was originally intended, using the classic recipe and ingredients. Whether you’re a fan of classic cocktails or just looking to try something new, we invite you to join us and raise a toast to the creativity and history that gave us the Old Fashioned.

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