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Classic Old Fashioned cocktail with a large ice cube and orange peel
Classic Cocktails4 min read

How to Make an Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is not just a cocktail — it IS the cocktail. When the word "cocktail" was first defined in print (The Balance and Columbian Repository, 1806: "spirits, sugar, water and bitters"), the drink being described was this one. Two centuries later it remains the purest drink in the canon: whiskey, sugar, bitters, and patience.

The Classic Old Fashioned

Ingredients

  • Bourbon2 oz (60 ml)
  • Sugar cube1 piece
  • Angostura bitters3 dashes
  • Orange peel1 piece

Instructions

  1. 1. Muddle the sugar cube with the bitters and a splash of water in a rocks glass until the sugar mostly dissolves.
  2. 2. Add the bourbon.
  3. 3. Add one large ice cube (or a few small ones) and stir gently for about 30 seconds until well-chilled.
  4. 4. Express the orange peel over the surface — squeeze it skin-side down so the oils spray — then drop it in.
  5. 5. Drink it slowly. That is the whole recipe.

Pro Tips for the Best Old Fashioned

🥃 Bourbon or Rye?

Bourbon is rounder and sweeter (it's mostly corn). Rye is spicier and drier — closer to the pre-Prohibition originals. Both are correct; pick your mood. If you can't decide, start with a high-rye bourbon like Bulleit or Four Roses and you get a bit of both.

🧊 The Big Ice Cube Matters

One large cube melts slower than several small ones, which means less dilution over the 20-30 minutes you'll nurse this drink. No fancy mold? Freeze water in a muffin tin or any container overnight and cut it into chunks.

🍊 Sugar Cube vs Simple Syrup

Purists muddle the cube; bartenders often use ¼ oz simple syrup because it dissolves completely with zero grainy residue. Both are correct — the syrup version is more forgiving for your first ten drinks.

🍒 To Muddle Fruit or Not

Wisconsin style muddles an orange wheel and a cherry INTO the drink (sweet, fruity, topped with soda). The classic just expresses the peel and drops it in. Neither is wrong — but make the classic first, then decide which camp you're in.

5 Old Fashioned Variations to Try

🌾

Rye Old Fashioned

Swap bourbon for rye whiskey. Drier and spicier — the way they drank it in the 1880s.

🍁

Maple Old Fashioned

Replace the sugar with ¼ oz pure maple syrup. Bourbon and maple is autumn in a glass.

💨

Smoked Old Fashioned

Smoke the glass with a smoking gun or a piece of charred cedar before pouring. Theatrical, and it makes a date night unforgettable.

🌵

Oaxaca Old Fashioned

Half reposado tequila, half mezcal, agave syrup instead of sugar. A modern classic that came out of New York.

🧀

Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned

Brandy, muddled orange and cherry, topped with a splash of soda. Sweet, fruity, a whole different animal — and beloved by an entire state.

What Can YOU Make Right Now?

If you have bourbon, sugar, and bitters in your bar, you can make an Old Fashioned. But what else? Bartools tells you exactly which cocktails you can make with the bottles you already own — and which ONE more bottle would unlock the most new recipes.

Track Your Bar — FreeBrowse All Recipes

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