The Old Fashioned cocktail sports its name for a reason: It’s old. The name caught on as early as the 1880s, by which time the drink itself had already been around for at least several decades. In fact, the earliest known description of a “cocktail,” from 1806, is essentially the recipe for an Old Fashioned. To quote the Balance & Columbian Repository newspaper in Hudson, NY: “Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters....” Please note, however, that the recipe does not call for whiskey. And also be aware that, in 1806, America was rum country. In fact, from its earliest colonial days through the first decade of the 1800s, the production and consumption of rum was big business in the States. So it stands to reason that rum Old Fashioneds have been around for as long as the Old Fashioned itself.
At some point, however, for various social, political and economic reasons, rum fell out of favor, whiskey became the national hooch, and the Old Fashioned became a whiskey drink. And thus it stayed, through the 20th century and into the 21st. Now, however, as adventurous and history-minded bartenders and imbibers discover new ways to make old classics, the rum Old Fashioned is back in play. Robert Simonson, who literally wrote the book on the Old Fashioned (The Old-Fashioned: The Story Of The World's First Classic Cocktail, available now), says, “Next to bourbon and rye, and arguably aged genever, rum is the most natural fit in the Old-Fashioned recipe template.”
This fact may not compute with a lot of folks who think of rum as a party drink rather than a sipping spirit. But a quality aged rum can be quite similar in character to whiskey. Simonson says, “The only steadfast rule is it should be an aged rum with enough breadth of flavor to carry of the drink. You don’t want a thin rum.” He also advises steering clear of sweeter rums, or else cutting back on the sugar. Puerto Rican rums like Ron del Barrillito are on the drier side, as are rums from New England such as Privateer and Thomas Tew. Simonson himself goes for longer-aged versions of Cuban mainstay Havana Club. “That’s rather unfair of me to recommend, as you can’t get the Cuban rums in the U.S.,” he says. “But that won’t be the case for long!” Amen, brother.
Sugar and bitters play an important role in the Old Fashioned; without them, after all, you’ve just got a glass of booze. In addition to plain old white sugar or simple syrup, other options include cane syrup, which lends a smooth, vanilla element to the drink; gomme syrup, which gives it a more velvety texture; and Demerara sugar, which has a subtle toffee/caramel flavor. For bitters, Angostura is a standby, which makes sense as it comes from the rum-producing island of Trinidad, and Angostura itself is a rum producer of considerable renown. Orange bitters (Angostura’s or, for a spicier, more complex flavor, Regan’s) are a nice change of pace.