This American bourbon survived Prohibition, but it’s hardly old fashioned
April 26, 2016 | greystar
ip on an Old Fashioned made with Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and you’re tasting history. A mainstay of the American bourbon experience, Old Forester was invented before Prohibition and remains a favorite today.
Surprisingly, its creation arose, in part, because of a need in the medical field. In the 1850s, physicians frequently used whiskey for medicinal purposes; it was the best antiseptic on the market. But whiskey was stored in wooden casks, compromising quality.
Physicians recognized the need for a better product, and pioneering pharmaceutical salesman George Garvin Brown answered the call. In 1870, Brown introduced the first bourbon bottled in a sealed glass container. The bottling kept the whiskey free of impurities and safe from tampering. After securing a respected endorsement for his new bottled bourbon from Dr. William Forrester, one of the best known physicians in Louisville, Brown began marketing Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon to the world.
As the very first Kentucky bourbon to be advertised to the public, Old Forester gained quick recognition, and bartenders began experimenting with the smooth spirit. In the 1880s, the iconic Old Fashioned was invented in a local club in Louisville, and legend tells that Old Forester was used in that first concoction.
But the brand’s influence didn’t end there. In 1897, the federal government followed Brown’s lead and passed the Bottled In Bond Act that required all bourbon to be sealed in bottles.
To sample a taste of those pre-Prohibition years, Old Forester Master Bourbon Specialist Jacquelyn Zykan recommends the following Old Fashioned recipe:
- 2 ounces Old Forester Signature
- 0.5 ounce demerara syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 dash Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters
Stir with ice before pouring over fresh ice. Cut a wide orange peel and twist it over the glass before garnishing with the peel. Sip responsibility while well-chilled.