The Old Fashioned: An Essential Guide to the Original Whiskey Cocktail

American tavern owners caused a sensation in the late eighteenth century when they mixed sugar, water, bitters, and whiskey and served the drink with rooster feather stirrers. The modern version of this "original cocktail," widely known as the Old Fashioned, is a standard in any bartender's repertoire and holds the distinction of being the only mixed drink ever to rival the Martini in popularity.

In The Old Fashioned, Gourmand Award–winning author Albert W. A. Schmid profiles the many people...