Old Fashioned

Old-Fashioned · Whiskey Cocktail

Bourbon or rye stirred over ice with sugar, bitters and a little water: a strong, lightly sweet drink with warm spice and orange aroma.

38.9% ABV
Built in the glass
2 min
Rocks glass
strong
bitter
sweet
IBA official cocktail · The Unforgettables

about 1.2 standard drinks (US, 14 g of alcohol). Estimated after dilution with ice.

Ingredients

1 cubeSugar cube
2 dashesAromatic bittersTwo dashes soaked into the sugar cube.
3 dashesWaterA few dashes of plain water, just enough to help the sugar dissolve.
1½ ozBourbon

Ice: One large ice cube · Garnish: orange, cocktail cherry

Method

Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass and saturate it with the aromatic bitters.
Add a few dashes of water and muddle until the sugar has dissolved.
Fill the glass with large ice cubes, then pour in the bourbon.
Stir gently for a few seconds to chill and blend the drink.
Express a piece of orange zest over the glass, then drop it in and add a cocktail cherry as garnish.

Tips

Use rye whiskey for a drier, spicier drink; bourbon gives a rounder, sweeter one.
Large ice cubes melt slowly, so the drink stays cold without becoming watery.
If you have no sugar cube, use about 1 teaspoon of simple syrup and skip the muddling.

Swaps

Missing something? These swaps change the taste a little but keep the drink balanced.

Bourbon → Rye whiskey
Sugar cube → Simple syrup or Demerara syrup or Cane sugar syrup or Brown sugar
Aromatic bitters → Orange bitters or Creole-style bitters

History

The Old Fashioned follows the original idea of a cocktail: spirit, sugar, water and bitters. The name is generally linked to the late 19th century, when drinkers asked for their drinks made the old-fashioned way. A story tying it to a Louisville club is often repeated, but it is disputed.