The Old Fashioned holds the unique distinction of being the original blueprint for the word “cocktail”—originally defined as a simple morning elixir of spirits, sugar, bitters, and water. As 19th-century bartenders began over-complicating drinks with European liqueurs and absinthe, traditionalists rebelled, demanding their libations be mixed the “old-fashioned way.” Decades later, the drink would be buried under heavy mounds of muddled fruit and soda. It wasn’t until the modern craft cocktail renaissance that the drink was finally restored to its clean, spirit-forward origins.
The Old Fitzgerald brand began in 1884 as a marketing myth created by spirits distributor S.C. Herbst. He named the bourbon after John E. Fitzgerald—a Treasury agent who allegedly used his master keys to “thief” the finest whiskey from aging barrels. During Prohibition, the brand was acquired by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, who moved production to the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery and replaced the traditional rye grain with wheat, pioneering a softer, sweeter style of bourbon. After dominating the mid-century market, the brand fell into obscurity, only to make a triumphant return with its 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond expression. Housed in a stunning, historic-style decanter, this bourbon boasts an exceptional mouthfeel, highlighting a nose of honey and summer fruits that transitions into a rich palate of brown sugar, cherry, and warm baking spices.
Using refined white sugar in the 19th century was a luxury reserved for the ultra-posh; the average saloon relied on unrefined sugars with heavy molasses components. Angostura’s Demerara Syrup perfectly mimics this historical profile, delivering a rich, full-bodied texture with distinct notes of toasted molasses, warm caramel, and a subtle hint of smoke.
To match that depth, Sirene China Calisaia Bitters serves as a direct mirror to 19th-century “Stomach Bitters,” an era when cocktail flavorings sat firmly at the intersection of medicine and mixology. During the 1800s, hand-selected South American cinchona bark—historically known as China (KEEN-uh) or Jesuit’s Bark—was prized globally to combat malaria and digestive ailments. A bartender from that period would have instantly recognized the smoky, highly tannic, and deep red profile of this bitter, making it the perfect tool for recreating an authentic pre-Prohibition profile.
By marrying the soft, wheated profile of Old Fitzgerald 7-Year-Old with the rich weight of demerara and the deep medicinal tannins of Sirene China Calisaia, this cocktail bridges the gap between the 1806 morning elixir and modern precision—breathing new life into a timeless classic.
