In the world of cocktails, the old-fashioned is the person who walks into a room and doesn’t need an introduction. They’ve been in the game for so long that everyone knows them. Everyone admires and respects them.
As cocktail recipes pop up and disappear by the season, the old-fashioned remains. It represents everything a well-crafted cocktail should be: balanced. It’s simply the best, and you can have the best right in the comfort of your own home.
Making the best old-fashioned at home is really easy. Simplicity is the name of the game here. Bourbon whiskey, a little sugar, and a dash of bitters, stirred up with quality ice and garnished with an orange peel—that’s all there is to it!
Bourbon
Bourbon whiskey is the star of the show when it comes to the old-fashioned. It stands out front and center, which is why you want to choose a quality bourbon whiskey to use. No need to break the bank on a bottle; a $20 to $30 price range should do the trick. A few quality bottles of bourbon whiskey are Bulleit, Four Roses, 1792, and Elijah Craig Small Batch. Those are a few of my personal favorites.Simple Syrup
I recommend that the sugar used in the old-fashioned be in the form of a simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water). Simple syrup blends best when mixing cocktails because it’s already in liquid form. Some cocktail purists advocate for only using sugar cubes when making an old-fashioned, but I find it to be annoying having to muddle and stir a sugar cube until all the minuscule sugar crystals dissolve. A simple syrup is the easier, smarter choice.Bitters
Next up, bitters. If you’ve been reading this thinking, “What the heck are bitters?” then let me explain. Bitters are the salt and pepper of the cocktail world; that’s the best way to put it. They’re small alcoholic tinctures made with a blend of herbs and spices, and range in various flavors.Building Your Old-fashioned
When mixing cocktails, the process generally falls into two camps: shaken or stirred. An old-fashioned is a stirred cocktail. For a general rule of thumb, if a cocktail contains only spirits, then you want to stir. If a cocktail contains juice, dairy, or egg white, then you shake it.
Classic Old-Fashioned Cocktail
Makes 1 cocktail- 2 ounces bourbon whiskey
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel, for garnish
1. Mix the cocktail: Place the bourbon, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass. Add the ice and stir with a bar spoon for 10 to 15 seconds.
2. Strain the cocktail: Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over one large ice cube, or cubed ice.
3. Garnish the cocktail: Pare an orange peel and express the oils from the back of the peel over the old-fashioned. Rub the peel around the rim of the glass and drop the peel into the glass.
