What is an old fashioned?Whiskey, sugar and bitters — and ours at Fiena, King's Cross

An old fashioned is made by muddling sugar with bitters and water, then adding whiskey, typically rye or bourbon. It's traditionally served over ice in a short "old fashioned" or rocks glass, and it's an official cocktail of the International Bartenders Association.

The recipe goes back to the early 1800s. In May 1806 a newspaper in Hudson, New York, gave the first documented definition of a "cocktail": spirits, bitters, water and sugar. As bartenders added liqueurs and more complicated recipes through the 19th century, some drinkers started asking for the simpler, earlier style, and the name "old-fashioned" was attached to it. The term dates to 1880, and the earliest known recipe by that name was published in Chicago in 1888. Background from Wikipedia's old fashioned page.

The drink is often said to have been invented at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Cocktail historians reject this: the Chicago Daily Tribune was already discussing "old fashioned cocktails" in 1880, and the club wasn't founded until 1881. Louisville still adopted it as its official cocktail in 2015.

Ours is made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Angostura bitters and gomme syrup, and all our cocktails use a 50ml spirit measure. If you like it, try the whiskey sour, also made with Buffalo Trace, or the bitter-sweet Negroni. For whisky by the measure, see our whisky and bourbon shelf.

A stirred, whiskey-forward drink suits rich, savoury food. From the main menu, try the Lamb cutlets with beef jus, the Fiena burger with smashed beef patties and caramelised onions, or Saltimbocca alla Romana. To finish, the Tiramisu or warm Chocolate brownie. See the Fiena burger and saltimbocca.

Guests like a drink at the bar here. Kiley wrote: I’d also recommend sitting outside and enjoying a cocktail here. (Kiley, Google review) And Normof: Wine was good, too. (Normof, Google review)