Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Old Fashioned is the simplest idea in mixed drinks: spirit, sugar, bitters and water. With bourbon or rye, it is a showcase for the whiskey, softened just enough to drink slowly. The sugar should round off the edges, not make the drink sweet, and the bitters add spice that ties the whiskey and orange together.

You can dissolve a sugar cube with bitters and a splash of water, or use a small amount of rich syrup. Syrup is faster and more consistent; the cube is more ritual and leaves a little texture. Either way, stir the drink with ice until it is cold and slightly diluted before it meets the big serving cube. Skip muddled fruit and soda here; that is a different style of drink.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) bourbon or rye whiskey
• 5 ml (1 barspoon) rich demerara syrup (2:1) — or 1 sugar cube plus 1 tsp water
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters — optional
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for stirring
• 1 large ice cube
• 1 wide strip orange peel

Method

1. Set a large clear ice cube in a double rocks glass and let it temper for a minute so it does not crack when the drink hits it.
2. Add the syrup and bitters to the mixing glass. If you use a sugar cube, drop it in the glass, wet it with the bitters and 1 tsp water, and crush it until no grains remain.
3. Pour in the whiskey and fill the mixing glass about three-quarters with ice.
4. Stir for 20 to 25 seconds, until the drink is cold and tastes smooth rather than hot.
5. Strain over the large cube in the rocks glass.
6. Pinch the orange peel over the drink to mist the oils, run it around the rim, and set it in the glass.

Tips for success

• A 2:1 demerara syrup gives caramel notes and a silkier body. Use only 5 ml; it is twice as sweet as 1:1 syrup.
• Higher-proof whiskeys (around 50% ABV) keep their character after dilution and are a classic choice for this drink.
• Cut the peel wide and avoid the white pith, which is bitter.

Substitutions

Rich demerara syrup

Use 7 to 10 ml of 1:1 simple syrup for a lighter drink, or 5 ml maple syrup for a woodsy sweetness that pairs well with bourbon.

Bourbon

Rye gives a drier, peppery drink. Aged rum, aged tequila (reposado) or brandy all make good Old Fashioned variations.

Angostura bitters

Other aromatic bitters work. Mixing in a dash of chocolate or cherry bitters adds depth.

Variations

Rum Old Fashioned

Use an aged rum and 5 ml rich demerara syrup, with Angostura and a dash of orange bitters.

Oaxaca-style

Use 45 ml reposado tequila and 15 ml mezcal with 5 ml agave syrup and 2 dashes Angostura. Garnish with orange or grapefruit peel.

Troubleshooting

There is gritty sugar in the glass

The cube did not fully dissolve. Crush it with the liquid before adding whiskey, or switch to syrup.

The drink burns

It needs more stirring. Aim for 20 to 25 seconds; the water released is part of the recipe.

It tastes sweet and flat

Use less syrup and add an extra dash of bitters. Make sure you expressed the peel; the oil adds brightness.

Storage

Serve right away. Rich 2:1 syrup keeps in a clean, sealed jar in the fridge for about a month; discard it if it turns cloudy or develops mold. A batch of whiskey, syrup and bitters keeps for weeks in a sealed bottle.

Safety notes

Contains 60 ml of whiskey, about 1.4 to 1.7 U.S. standard drinks depending on proof (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). For adults of legal drinking age only; never drink and drive.