Old Fashioned Recipe (Simple, Classic, Better Than Most Bars)

What you’re aiming for

A great Old Fashioned tastes like whiskey, but smoother — sweet enough to round it out, bitter enough to stay interesting.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon or rye
• 1 tsp simple syrup (or a sugar cube)
• 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel
• One big ice cube

Method (30 seconds)

• Stir whiskey + syrup + bitters with ice until cold
• Strain over a big cube
• Express orange peel oils, then drop it in

Step-by-step with cues (so you know you nailed it)

• Add whiskey, syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass (or sturdy cup). Add a big handful of ice.
• Stir 20–30 seconds. It should feel very cold and slightly “heavier” as it dilutes.
• Taste with a straw/spoon: it should be whiskey-forward but not sharp or burning.
• Strain over one large cube (or 2–3 regular cubes) in a rocks glass.
• Express orange peel over the drink (shiny side down), then rim the glass with it.

Ingredient notes & swaps

• Bourbon = sweeter/rounder; rye = drier/spicier. Use what you like.
• No simple syrup? Use a sugar cube, but stir longer to dissolve.
• Bitters: Angostura is classic. Orange bitters makes it brighter; chocolate bitters makes it deeper.

Quick pro tips

• Big ice = slower melt = better balance
• Don’t muddle cherries/oranges into pulp
• If it tastes “hot,” stir longer for more dilution

Variations (same template, different vibe)

• Maple Old Fashioned: swap simple syrup for 1 tsp maple syrup.
• Smoked Old Fashioned: use a smoky bourbon/mezcal rinse (go light).
• Spiced: add 1 dash aromatic + 1 dash orange bitters.

FAQ

Top picks (Amazon)

If you’re making Old Fashioneds at home, these are the upgrades that actually change the drink: better ice + consistent measuring + a clean stir.

Shop tools used (Amazon)

Optional, but nice if you make stirred drinks often: these make the process cleaner and more repeatable.

Related guides (internal)