Rum old fashioned

This rum old fashioned is a lovely variation on the classic. It's a spirit-forward drink with a fantastic spice and slightly sweet flavor profile. Perfect for sipping, especially on a chilly night.

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I don't know about anyone else, but I have found myself drifting between different spirits of choice over the years. Don't get me wrong, I still choose different drinks for different occasions, weather and so on, but there's often one I'll drift to if in doubt.

In Australia, I think it's fair to say it was mainly gin in the summer at least, as I loved some of the local gins available there. Then as it cooled, I drifted more to whiskey which stuck with me as we moved back to the US.

More recently, though, rum has taken the favorite spot. Or to be more specific, dark rum. A rum sour is one of my go-to cocktails at the moment, though this old fashioned variation is high up there for when it's cooler and/or I want to really get the rum's flavor coming through. It's simple, spirit-forward and wonderfully sippable.

What is an old fashioned cocktail?

The old fashioned is often considered the original cocktail as it has spirit, sweetener, water and bitters. You'll find some debate over it's exact origins, and exactly how old it is, as with many cocktails. It has also undergone a few variations over time. 

However, what is known is that first "old fashioned" is short for "old fashioned whiskey cocktail" and the first recipe was printed in 1895 in Modern American Drinks.

That recipe wasn't so far off what we generally recognize as the drink today, being mainly whiskey stirred with sugar, ice, bitters and some lemon peel. These days, orange peel is more typical and many use simple syrup since sugar may not always dissolve well. But the essential format is the same. 

It's simple, strong and very spirit-forward. Some may find it harder to like as a result, but it's worth trying more than once to see if you might come around. You'll find it's a great cocktail to savor and sip, particularly in colder weather.

While it has gone up and down in popularity over the years, these days it's considered a classic. In fact so much so, the short glass you typically use for one is often called an old fashioned glass.

A flavorful variation

As with so many classic cocktails, you'll find various riffs on the old fashioned theme, especially using different spirits as the base, like tequila or rum. Others make changes to the sweetener, like my pumpkin spice old fashioned.

As should be clear by now, this one uses dark rum as the base. And while you could, to a point, keep the rest more "typical", some changes to the other ingredients are worthwhile. Dark rum has notes of caramel, vanilla and spices. In some cases, there's a molasses-like flavor, and at least plenty depth.

To pair with this, a demerara syrup works really well - it has those same caramel notes so is a great match. Demerara sugar is a less refined, coarse brown sugar, sometimes called turbinado sugar in the US. I've also gone with a mix of orange and aromatic bitters as both work well with the range of flavors.

Tips for making and serving an old fashioned

This is a super simple cocktail and while it's quick and easy, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First things first, choose a good rum that you like the flavor of for this, as you will taste it.

It's worth taking the time to mix and chill the drink before pouring into it's final glass. This gives a gentle dilution without wasting the ice you'll have in the end drink. Yes, it's two dirty glasses (or a glass and a shaker), but it's worthwhile.

The big ice cube that you serve the drink over isn't just for show, either. The large piece of ice takes longer to melt than lots of smaller pieces. For a drink like this that is meant to be sipped on gradually, that means it's only gradually diluted rather than becoming too watery too fast.

I've served this with a strip of orange peel - a wide vegetable peeler makes this easy - and a maraschino cherry. Both pair well, though you can skip if you prefer. Though I recommend the orange if nothing else to add an extra burst of zest. (The cherry is tasty too, though!)

This rum old fashioned is a tasty variation on the classic, with a wonderful depth of flavor with only a short list of ingredients. It's spirit-forward and minimalist, allowing you to enjoy the bright notes of spice and sweetness in the rum. A lovely cocktail for sipping.

Try these other easy cocktails:

• Mexican carajillo (a super easy two ingredient coffee cocktail with lovely spice notes)
• Calvados sour (a fall-flavored twist on the classic, with lovely appley flavors)
• Blackberry bourbon smash (a delicious mix of berries, bourbon, citrus and herbs)
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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