How to Make an Old Fashioned: The Classic Whiskey Cocktail

The Old Fashioned is one of those cocktails that sounds more complicated than it actually is.

You don’t need a cocktail shaker. You don’t need ten different bottles of stuff you’ve never heard of. You don’t even need particularly fancy whiskey.

You need whiskey, sugar, bitters, ice and an orange.

That’s basically it.

And that’s exactly why the Old Fashioned is such a good cocktail to learn. Once you get the basic version right, you can start playing around with different whiskeys, different sweeteners and different bitters. But the classic version is hard to beat.

What Is an Old Fashioned?

At its core, an Old Fashioned is whiskey that has been slightly sweetened and seasoned with bitters.

The traditional template is incredibly simple: spirit, sugar, water and bitters. The modern version generally uses bourbon or rye whiskey, Angostura bitters, ice and an orange peel.

And despite what some cocktail people might tell you, there isn’t one magical way to make it.

Some people use a sugar cube. Some use simple syrup. Some use demerara syrup. Some prefer bourbon, while others swear by rye.

The important thing is getting the balance right.

You still want the whiskey to be the star.

Old Fashioned Ingredients

For one cocktail, you’ll need:

• 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye whiskey
• 1 tsp simple syrup
• 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Ice
• 1 strip of orange peel

That’s all.

You can use a sugar cube instead of simple syrup if you prefer. If you do, add a small splash of water and stir it with the bitters until the sugar starts dissolving. That’s closer to some of the traditional preparations.

I usually prefer simple syrup because it’s easier and gives you more control over the sweetness.

How to Make an Old Fashioned

1. Add the sugar and bitters

Start with a rocks glass.

Add 1 teaspoon of simple syrup and 2–3 dashes of Angostura bitters.

Give it a quick stir.

You’re not trying to make some elaborate syrup-and-bitters mixture here. You just want everything reasonably well combined before adding the whiskey.

2. Add the whiskey

Pour in 2 oz (60 ml) of bourbon or rye.

This is where your choice of whiskey actually matters.

Bourbon will generally give you a rounder, sweeter Old Fashioned, with plenty of vanilla and caramel character.

Rye tends to make a drier, spicier drink.

Neither is wrong.

If you’re making your first Old Fashioned, I’d probably start with bourbon simply because it’s a very forgiving combination.

3. Add ice

Add a large ice cube if you have one.

If you don’t, regular ice cubes work perfectly well. You don’t need to go out and buy a $40 ice mould just to make a drink.

The ice isn’t just there to make the drink cold. As you stir, it also adds a small amount of water to the cocktail, which takes some of the edge off the whiskey.

4. Stir

Stir the drink for around 15–20 seconds.

You don’t need to beat the hell out of it.

The goal is to chill the drink and introduce some controlled dilution. Classic recipes commonly call for stirring the whiskey with ice until chilled rather than shaking it.

Take a sip.

If it tastes too strong, give it another few seconds of stirring.

If it tastes good, stop messing with it.

5. Add the orange peel

Cut a strip of orange peel.

Hold it over the drink and give it a good twist to release the oils over the surface of the cocktail.

Then drop the peel into the glass.

This sounds like a tiny detail, but it makes a noticeable difference. You’re getting orange oils on the surface of the drink, which adds a fresh citrus aroma every time you take a sip.

And that’s your Old Fashioned.

No shaker. No complicated garnish. No 14-ingredient cocktail that takes longer to make than dinner.

Bourbon or Rye?

This is probably the first decision you’ll run into.

Bourbon

Bourbon generally produces a softer, sweeter Old Fashioned.

Look for something with enough proof and enough flavor to stand up to the sugar and bitters.

If you like caramel, vanilla, oak and a slightly richer drink, bourbon is probably your starting point.

Rye

Rye brings more spice to the party.

A rye Old Fashioned can be drier and a little more aggressive, with peppery and herbal notes coming through alongside the bitters.

If bourbon makes an Old Fashioned feel like a comfortable winter drink, rye makes it feel a little more serious.

Try both.

It’s one of the easiest ways to understand how much the whiskey itself changes a cocktail.

Don’t Make It Too Sweet

This is probably the easiest mistake to make.

An Old Fashioned shouldn’t taste like whiskey-flavored syrup.

You’re adding sugar because it balances the bitterness and alcohol and helps bring out certain flavors in the whiskey. You’re not adding it to turn the drink into dessert.

Start with 1 teaspoon of simple syrup.

You can always add more next time.

You can’t really remove it once you’ve poured half the sugar bottle into the glass.

Do You Need a Cherry?

No.

If you like a cherry, go for it.

But an orange peel is more than enough for a classic Old Fashioned, and it’s what I’d recommend if you’re making one at home for the first time.

And please don’t feel like you need to muddle an entire orange slice and three maraschino cherries into the bottom of the glass.

That’s a different drink.

Can You Use Cheap Whiskey?

Absolutely.

In fact, the Old Fashioned is a pretty good way to find out whether a whiskey you bought is actually any good.

You’re not hiding it behind fruit juice, cola or a mountain of ingredients.

The whiskey is still doing most of the work.

That doesn’t mean you need a $100 bottle, either. A solid bourbon or rye in the $25–50 range can make a damn good Old Fashioned.

And if you find a cheaper bottle that works? Even better.

The Caskable Version

If I’m making one at home, this is the recipe I’d start with:

2 oz bourbon or rye
1 tsp simple syrup
2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
Large ice cube
Orange peel

Add the syrup and bitters to a rocks glass.

Add the whiskey.

Add ice.

Stir for 15–20 seconds.

Twist an orange peel over the drink and drop it in.

Then drink it.

That’s the Old Fashioned.

Simple enough that you can make one in about two minutes, but with enough room to experiment that you could probably spend the next ten years arguing about the perfect version.

And honestly, that’s part of the fun.