As the name suggests, Old-Fashioned is a very old cocktail made with bourbon or whiskey, fine sugar or a sugar cube, Angostura bitters, Maraschino cherries, orange slices, and a splash of club soda or water. The cocktail is prepared by muddling the bitters, sugar, cherries, an orange slice, and soda or water in an old-fashioned glass.

After the fruit husks are removed, bourbon and ice are added to the combination, and the whole thing is stirred, then garnished with a cherry and an orange slice. It is believed that the first Old-Fashioned was created at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, when it was made with whiskey, bitters, water, ice, and a sugar cube.

The cocktail was then garnished with a lemon peel, while fresh fruit was not used at all. The addition of muddled fruit came in the 20th century, and the cocktail is now a traditional pre-dinner beverage served for Thanksgiving and Christmas in numerous American households.