Old Fashioned recipe
The cocktail that started it all — pure, simple, timeless.
Method: Stir ·
Glass: Rocks glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: The Old Fashioned Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey (Buffalo Trace or Rittenhouse)
- 1 tsp Simple Syrup (or 1 sugar cube)
- 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 dash Orange Bitters (optional)
How to make a Old Fashioned
- Add simple syrup and bitters to a rocks glass.
- Add one large ice cube or a few smaller cubes.
- Pour in the whiskey.
- Stir gently for 20-30 seconds to chill and dilute.
- Express an orange peel over the drink, rub it on the rim, and drop it in.
Garnish
Orange peel, expressed and placed in the glass. Optional Luxardo cherry.
Pro tip
Use a large, clear ice cube — it melts slower and keeps your drink cold without over-diluting. The bigger the cube, the better the experience.
History of the Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned dates back to the early 1800s and is considered the original cocktail. When bartenders started adding liqueurs and fruits to drinks in the late 1800s, purists asked for their whiskey drinks made 'the old-fashioned way' — just spirit, sugar, bitters, and water.
Flavour profile
Warm, Caramel, Citrus, Spice
Variations
- Rum Old Fashioned — Swap bourbon for aged rum and use demerara syrup
- Oaxacan Old Fashioned — Split base: 1.5 oz reposado tequila + 0.5 oz mezcal
- Maple Old Fashioned — Replace simple syrup with maple syrup, use walnut bitters
Practise making the Old Fashioned in the free Virtual Bar game.