The Old Fashioned is a timeless cocktail. A few ingredients —a sugar cube, angostura bitters, and whiskey — marry over a large ice cube with an orange twist for a delicious sipping experience.
The Old Fashioned's roots date back to the 18th century when it was just known as the Whiskey Cocktail and was made with bitters and whiskey, no ice.
With such a short list of ingredients, the key to a perfect Old Fashioned comes down to technique: – Saturate the sugar with bitters. – Pour a high-quality spirit. – Use one large ice cube.
– 1 sugar cube – 2 dashes Angostura bitters – 2 oz. bourbon or rye of choice – Orange twist and brandied cherry for garnish
1. Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass and add bitters, allowing the bitters to soak into the sugar. 2. Muddle the bitters and sugar together. 3. Add bourbon or rye and stir. 4. Add one large ice cube or two to three smaller cubes. Stir until thoroughly chilled, about 20-30 seconds. 5. Garnish with an orange twist and a brandied cherry.
– Use different flavored bitters, such as Crude’s Pooter bitters for a salty, smoky undertone or orange bitters to complement the garnish – Swap the whiskey for barrel-rested gin, which lends more botanical and vanilla flavors – Try smoky mezcal in place of whiskey for a cocktail that’s reminiscent of a campfire