Although the Old-Fashioned cocktail is known for its American origins, the concept of combining a spirit, sweetener, and bitters in a drink can be traced back to 17th Century England. London apothecary Richard Stoughton created the first aromatic bitters around 1690, which were widely used in British bars and colonies by the mid-1700s.

The first definition of the word ‘Cocktail’ was published in the May 1806 issue of ‘The Balance and Columbian Repository’ in Hudson, New York as a response to a reader's letter. In the following issue, the editor described it as a potent mixture of spirits, bitters, water and sugar – known as a bittered sling. This is essentially the recipe for an Old-Fashioned, which was also referred to as a bittered sling at the time.

The cocktail evolved over time. By the 1860s, orange curaçao, absinthe and other liqueurs were commonly added to the drink. However, as cocktails became more complex many drinkers longed for the simpler, pre-1850s versions of the drink. As a result, the Old- Fashioned cocktail made a comeback. It quickly became one of the most popular cocktails with whiskey being the spirit of choice.