New takes on the Old Fashioned

COCKTAILS don't come more classic than the Old Fashioned, as Jigger & Pony group co-founder Indra Kantono can tell you: "The Old Fashioned is literally the definition of the word 'cocktail' - a base spirit with sugar, water, and bitters."

This barebones formula was given in the first published definition of the word, in an 1806 issue of New York newspaper The Balance and Columbian Repository. Cocktails adhering to it were labelled "old-fashioned"; that later became the name of a whisky-based instance of the genre.

The vintage drink gets a fresh spin at Jigger & Pony group's Flagship, a rock-and-roll-styled bar billing itself as "the home of the Old Fashioned". A classic rendition shares menu space with three fresher takes, with bespoke variations also an option.