The Evolution of the Old Fashioned -- And How Oliver Royale Gave It Its Own Twist

Like a night after too many Old Fashioneds, the history of one of the most classic cocktails is a little blurry. But it remains one of our favorites -- both to drink and to experiment with. 

Cocktail recipes, like that for the Old Fashioned, were often shared via word-of-mouth before official recipes were recorded in bar books or other publications. Bartenders used to be pretty secretive about their concoctions, so we may never know who actually created what we now know as an Old Fashioned. 

Many credit a bartender named James E. Pepper with creating the cocktail in 1880. He mixed up one of the first Old Fashioneds at a private social club called Pendennis in -- where else? -- Kentucky. After that, Pepper traveled to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel bar in New York with the recipe. And the rest was history.

The name “Old Fashioned” doesn’t necessarily come from the bartenders involved in the mixology, though. It comes from the patrons. 

Before recipes were “official” and cocktails were mostly mixed according to word-of-mouth instruction, the classic whiskey drink tended to vary quite a bit. People got tired of never getting a uniform result, and started ordering the cocktail the “old fashioned way.” That method involved whiskey, a sugar cube saturated with bitters, and ice stirred together. 

Since then, the Old Fashioned has gone through several iterations. During Prohibition, people often could only get their hands on bootleg, low-quality whiskey. This is when bartenders started to muddle oranges or cherries to add to the drink, or even added a splash of soda water.

Here at Royale, we take pride in our own evolution of the drink. The historic Kern Building has a reputation for producing the city’s finest Old Fashioneds, and we like to think we live up to that. Like with everything we do here, though, we like to put our own spin on the classics.

We have the Old Fashioned #7 on our menu now, which is a Tennessee-style variation of an Old Fashioned. We mix up Tennessee’s Favorite Sour Mash, Jack Daniels #7, a banana simple syrup that we create in-house, and The Bitter Truth nut bitters. Garnishment, instead of the typical orange peel or cherry, is a bruleed banana slice. This is a sweeter version of the Old Fashioned you know and love, and brings out the inherent banana notes you taste in Jack Daniel’s.

If you visit us and ask for a classic Old Fashioned, though, we can deliver. Typically, the more classic version of the cocktail will include a rye whiskey. A rye’s tasting notes will usually shine through your cocktail a little better than other whiskeys. (For a bit of a kick, try a rye with notes of pepper, fruit, and oak). 

Some popular whiskey requests in our classic Old Fashioned are Pikesville Rye, Maker’s Mark, and Blanton’s (we even have our own barrel selection of Blanton’s, so we always have that on deck). One of our bartenders, Ari’s, go-to’s is our own hand-selected barrel of Corsair’s Ryemaggedon Rye. 

However you choose to drink your classic Old Fashioned, don’t forget our top pro tip -- don’t leave that cherry in the bottom of the glass when you’re finished. 

Looking back on our favorite moments of 2019

As we head into the final quarter of 2019, we’re taking time to toast all that we’ve accomplished this year, because why wait until New Years?!

And don’t worry… we still have plenty more planned for the rest of 2019. 

But for now, we’re celebrating eight of our favorite moments from the past eight months: 

1. Sazerac Bourbon Dinner

We love this event so much that we decided to add another one to the calendar. Our first one was in January and kicked off 2019 in style. Our guests enjoyed it so much that we scheduled another one next month by popular demand! Set again for September 19th, our Sazerac Bourbon Dinner is where we raise our glasses to America’s native spirit. In our September event we’ll debut our trio of hand-selected Barrels Weller 107, Blanton’s, and Buffalo Trace. (Oh, and the five-course dinner is the proverbial cherry on top). 

2. Orin Swift Valentine's Day Wine Dinner

Love was in the air at our signature Valentine's Day event, between the couples in attendance, of course! But there was also plenty of love for the four-course dinner and the delicious wine they were paired with. 

3. Taste of Spain Wine Dinner

Guests didn’t even have to buy a plane ticket to enjoy the best grapes that Spain had to offer. We brought the Taste of Spain right to Knoxville, with this wine dinner back in March. In addition to the wines and the perfectly paired dinner, guests also got a history lesson on some of Spain’s most interesting wines, like Cava, Albariño, and Tempranillo. 

4. Donkey and Goat Wine Dinner

Thanks to Wine Ambassador, Rich Dixon, guests at this event enjoyed a tasting (and the fascinating story) of some of Donkey & Goat’s most exciting wines, like Gadabout and The Bear and Gigi. 

Can you tell how much we shared our love of wine in 2019? 

5. Mother’s Day Champagne Dinner 

For a little bubblier experience, we hosted our first-ever Mother’s Day Champagne Dinner in May. To celebrate all the amazing moms in our lives, we popped bottles of some of the most delicious champagnes in our collection. 

6. Kicking off summer in style

We released our summer menu a couple months ago, and started enjoying favorites like the Sous Vide Swordfish and our classic Oliver Burger. With all the fresh produce ready to eat around this time of year, summer flavors are some of our favorites. 

Speaking of produce, did you know we also use it in many of our cocktails? We taught 43 people about quality ingredients, mixology, and how to present the perfect cocktail to guests as part of our Launch to Summer Cocktail Class in June. One of our favorites? The Gin X. 

7. Big change across our entire ownership group

You may have noticed some changes across our property if you’ve been to visit us recently. Right next door to Royale, we kicked off our biggest renovation yet of The Oliver Hotel. We’ve started remodeling many of the guest rooms, and we’ll continue the project through the rest of this year. We’re so excited for guests to see our new (yet still classic) look. 

But our big year has extended even outside of Knoxville. Our ownership group just opened up the new Station House Inn in South Lake Tahoe. So when you need a getaway from the charm of downtown Knoxville, we’ve got just the western oasis for you, with access to a private beach, ski resorts, and the beautiful water of Lake Tahoe. 

8. Buffalo Trace/Castle & Key Tour

Our events throughout the year are focused on our guests -- giving them the best experience, the most delicious dinner, and the most exciting spirits. But when it comes to our Buffalo Trace/Castle & Key Tour, this is where our staff gets the most amped up. As part of the barrel program, we visit Buffalo Trace every year as a group (combining forces from Royale, The Oliver Hotel and Peter Kern Library) to pick out our own barrels of Weller, Blanton’s and Buffalo Trace bourbons. This year, for the second year in a row, we were able to add on a tour of Castle and Key Distillery -- and most importantly, get our hands on a Weller Full-Proof Barrel! 

As 2019 draws to a close, we’ll keep evolving in this last quarter. In addition to finishing up renovations at the hotel (focusing on the lobby next), our remodel is also set to include our speakeasy bar, the Peter Kern Library. 

Even with the new looks, our guest experience will stay the same: delectable food, exciting events, and the best spirits in town. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for some of our favorite photos throughout the year, and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on events. 

Food in my cocktail? Yes, Please! How we incorporate culinary items into our mixology

When you take a sip of a good cocktail, you’re (rightly) focused on the liquid in your glass. But what many cocktail enthusiasts forget about is the importance of food products when it comes to creating that perfect drink. 

Whether it’s produce-infused alcohol, or freshly-cut garnishes, we appreciate how important food is not only to our regular menu, but also our cocktail menu. 

On our current menu, our “Some Like It Hot” jalapeno-infused tequila is a customer favorite and some of you may remember our old menu favorite, the “Gin Ne Sais Quoi,” which featured cucumber- and jalapeno-infused gin to create a spicy-yet-refreshing taste. 

Both of these infusions happen via a process called “sous vide,” which means “under vacuum.” It’s a cooking process where foods or liquids are placed in vacuum-sealed plastic, then immersed into a circulation water bath held at a precise temperature (we hold ours to 145 degrees for two hours). 

If jalapenos aren’t your thing, we have a few other regularly-circulating infusions that are always available: a house-made limoncello, which uses fresh lemons from Valley Produce and sits for about a month, and a horseradish vodka, which sits for about a week. This one goes pretty quickly, especially after our weekend brunch hours, when we’re making Bloody Mary after Bloody Mary. 

Infusions are equal parts science and art. We meticulously label and seal our infusions to let them marinate for the exact amount of time it will take to create the strongest flavor. But sometimes we add our own little twist to the process. Our secret is to give the jar a little shake every so often when you pass nearby. This moves the contents around and makes sure flavor is evenly spread throughout. 

For our drinks that don’t include infused alcohol, food is equally important to the rest of our cocktail menu. You’ve seen these visible reminders of how our cocktails use fresh produce to create the flavors you love -- garnish. 

Many bars will pre-prepare their garnishes so they can be ready to go as quickly as possible. But here’s where our mixology-as-an-art-form philosophy comes into play. Most of our garnishes are made fresh, right after someone orders their drink. Occasionally we’ll keep a few prepared lime wedges as backup, but the vast majority of our garnishes are made to order. 

We order our produce daily from Tennessee-based Valley Produce, and stock the bar with everything we might need throughout the night. Then we cut or prepare it after a guest orders a drink. This maintains top-notch freshness in each ingredient, and prevents you from drinking something with an hours-old orange wedge thrown in. But preparing garnishes to order also makes the whole preparation of your cocktail more exciting. So enjoy the show! 

Cocktail garnishes are both for taste and appearance. Think about a classic drink like a mint julep. A good bartender will “spank” or “smack” the herb around the drink to release the herb’s oils into the cocktail. But as much as the mint adds to the flavor of the drink, it also adds important aesthetics. Lying that sprig of mint on top adds an aromatic element, but also completes the visual picture of what a classic cocktail is supposed to look like. (And makes your drink not only ready to drink, but ready to Instagram). 

At Oliver Royale, we have a deep appreciation for complex flavors and quality ingredients when it comes to our food menu. But that appreciation extends to our cocktail menu too. Food plays just as important of a role in our drinks as it does in our dishes. So come join us for both!

Kicking Off Your Summer with a Royale Crown Jewel

If words like “gin” and “strawberries” make up your dream summer, we definitely have the drink for you! 

We originally taught this cocktail recipe for our take on the gin gimlet, a “Gin X”, at our Launch to Summer Cocktail class a couple weeks ago. We had 43 guests who learned five simple cocktail recipes perfect for summer parties, barbecues, or just a night on the patio. The Gin X cocktail is one of the crown jewels of our current menu, so even if you don’t mix one up yourself, you can always come enjoy one with us!

We take pride in our mixology, as well as our diverse array of ingredients, garnishments, and spirits. But most people don’t have access to a full bar of ingredients at home. We created a menu for our cocktail class that pulled from drinks filled with ingredients that most people already had at home. Simple, accessible, and quality ingredients are all you really need to make your refreshing summer cocktail.

That’s where the Gin X comes in: a simple and delicious cocktail that tastes a lot more complicated than it is! 

The trickiest part of mixing up the Gin X is the muddling: You’ll want to make sure to double-strain your cocktail out of the tin so that you don’t sacrifice the drink’s consistency with chunks of produce. It’s helpful to have a Hawthorne strainer, muddler, shaker tin, and a jigger on hand, too. 

Full recipe for the Gin X is below (and be sure to keep an eye out for our next cocktail class, so you can get even more tips from the mixologist pros!)

Gin X Cocktail

Ingredients: 

1.5 oz London dry gin

0.75 oz  Fresh lime juice

1.0 oz Simple Syrup

4-5  Basil Leaves and ½ Ripe Strawberry  

Directions: 

1. Separate your tin. 

2. Muddle your strawberry into the smaller side of the tin. Take your basil leaves (set aside or leave for garnish) and smack them in the palm of your hands to extract the oils of the basil, then drop into tin with strawberry. 

3. In large side of tin, add in fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and gin. 

4. Fill large side of tin halfway full with ice. 

5. Seal tins and shake vigorously, until tin is nice and chilled and the ice has broken down well. 

6. Double strain into ice-filled glass. 

7. Smack one more large basil leaf and place in glass as garnish. 

8. Enjoy!

How We Created the Fall Cocktail Menu by Bartender Ari Rector

Fun Fact! At Oliver Royale, we change up the food menus, but we also change up the cocktail menus every season. It’s an exciting time to witness the changes and I’m even more thrilled to share with you, first hand, how we created this Fall’s cocktail menu.

Taking on my first cocktail menu change was intimidating. I’ve contributed to previous menus, but never had to manage the intricacies of developing a well-balanced and on-theme lineup. There are plenty of details to consider, both creatively and logistically, when working on a new seasonal menu. There are questions we bartenders must think about and ultimately answer for a perfectly balanced, delicious, and thoughtful menu. Thankfully, my counterpart, Chris, is a veteran of the cocktail game, and we worked together to create a fresh take on this year's Fall menu!

So diving head-on, we pored over each cocktail, each alternative, again and again. We asked ourselves questions like how do we make tequila taste like fall? Instead of drawing primarily from stereotypical autumn flavors like pumpkin and allspice, we drew inspiration from the sensations of fall: a dry, crisp breeze, the coziness of being wrapped up in a blanket, or the smell of smoke from a campfire.

We even tackled presentation, like would a certain cocktail be better presented in a coupe or a whiskey snifter? Beyond liquor, you also want to present a varied cast of supporting ingredients. A bright, tart tequila drink must counterbalance an earthy, saccharine gin drink on the menu.

We went back and forth on the drawing board to figure out the logistics, too: is there a variety of spirits being used? You probably want a few different whiskey drinks, one boozy, one bright, one dry. The list goes on - How many gin cocktails are too many? How many drinks should be served up? How many on the rocks?

With this template to guide us, we began to craft our first menu together.

So here we are now - polishing up the menu, adding the last touches, and excited to present you a couple of Oliver bar classics, like the rich and smoky Campfire Old Fashioned and Bram Stoker. You’ll see some new takes on old classics with the Eye Opener and the Circa 1895. To keep things current, we brought plenty of new players to the game with Smoke & Mirrors, A Clinch River Runs Through It, the Terra Otono, and the Euphemia.

Chris and I are tremendously excited to present the Fall cocktail menu to our guests and to build upon the solid foundation we inherited from our previous bar manager, Colin, and lead bartender, Matt. We will do all we can to live up to their legacy!

Here’s a sneak peak of one of our brand new cocktails premiering in the coming weeks, Smoke & Mirrors. Go ahead and give it a try! We'd love to know what you think!

Smoke & Mirrors

● 1 oz Rye Whiskey

● .5 oz Suze

● .5 oz Amaro Abano

● .5 oz Lillet Rouge

Stir, pour up into a coupe and top with champagne! Drink up!

Stay tuned for the menu release on 9/26! Check us out on Facebook or Instagram for more sneak peeks!