An Old Fashioned seasons whiskey with sugar, bitters, water, and citrus oil. It should still taste primarily of whiskey.
Ingredients
- 60 ml (2 oz) bourbon or rye
- 5-7.5 ml (1-1.5 tsp) rich simple syrup
- 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters
- Orange peel
- One large ice cube
Tools
- Mixing glass or rocks glass
- Jigger
- Bar spoon
Method
- Add whiskey, syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 20-25 seconds.
- Strain over one large cube in a rocks glass.
- Express orange peel over the drink.
- Taste before adding more sugar.
Sugar should season the whiskey
Start with 5 ml rich syrup. If the drink still feels sharp after proper stirring, add a little more. Beginning too sweet makes it difficult to recover the whiskey character.
Water is an ingredient
Stirring chills the drink and adds controlled dilution. That small amount of water opens aroma and softens alcohol; skipping it leaves three ingredients sitting beside each other.
Use citrus oil, not juice
Express a strip of orange peel over the finished drink. Juice changes the acid and sugar structure and moves the drink away from the classic form.
This high-alcohol drink is for adults of legal drinking age. Drink responsibly.
What goes wrong and how to fix it
- Too sweet: reduce syrup to 5 ml; the whiskey should remain central.
- Harsh: the drink is under-diluted. Stir longer rather than adding more sugar.
- Watery: small soft ice melted too quickly. Use firm ice and a large serving cube.
- Orange dominates: express the peel rather than adding juice or muddled fruit.
Substitutions
- Bourbon is rounder and sweeter; rye is drier and spicier.
- No rich syrup: use 7-10 ml standard simple syrup.
- No orange: lemon peel works with some rye whiskeys.
Cost, time, and difficulty
About US$2.50-10 per serving.
FAQ
Should an Old Fashioned contain muddled orange and cherries?
Some regional versions do, but the classic stripped-down structure uses citrus oil rather than muddled fruit.
Bourbon or rye?
Bourbon is an easier sweet start; rye gives a drier, spicier drink.
How many dashes of bitters?
Two or three is a useful start for a 60 ml whiskey pour.
Why is mine harsh?
It probably needs colder temperature and a little more dilution.