The Old Fashioned is the original whiskey cocktail and still the best way to show off a good bourbon. There’s nothing to hide behind: just whiskey, a little sugar, bitters and an orange peel. Here’s how to make one right.
What you need
2 oz bourbon
1 sugar cube, or 1/4 oz simple syrup
2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 orange peel
1 large ice cube
A rocks glass and a spoon
How to make it
If you’re using a sugar cube, put it in the glass, soak it with the bitters and a splash of water, then muddle until it dissolves. If you’re using simple syrup, just add the syrup and bitters.
Add the bourbon and the large ice cube.
Stir for about 20 to 30 seconds to chill and slightly dilute.
Cut a wide strip of orange peel, squeeze it over the glass so the oils spray across the top, rub it around the rim, and drop it in.
Which bourbon to use
Pick something between 90 and 100 proof with enough backbone to stand up to the sugar and ice. Bottled-in-bond bourbons are perfect here: they’re 100 proof, affordable and full of flavor. Save your rare, allocated bottles for sipping neat.
3 easy twists
Maple Old Fashioned: Swap the sugar for 1/4 oz real maple syrup. Great for fall.
Spiced Old Fashioned: Use demerara syrup and add a dash of orange bitters alongside the Angostura.
High-Rye Old Fashioned: Use a spicy, high-rye bourbon and a lemon peel instead of orange for a brighter drink.
Common mistakes
Muddling fruit into a pulp. A classic Old Fashioned doesn’t need a crushed cherry and orange slice.
Too much sugar. Start small. You can always add more.
Small, fast-melting ice. One big cube keeps it cold without watering it down.
What’s your go-to Old Fashioned bourbon? Tell us in the comments.
Please drink responsibly.