Old Fashioned · Bourbon or Rye
Old Fashioned
The cocktail that started everything.
Spirit, sugar, bitters, water — the original definition of the word 'cocktail'. No sour mix. No splash of anything. Just spirit doing the heavy lifting.
Ingredients
- Bourbon or rye45 ml
- Sugar1 cube
- Angostura bitters2 dashes
- Watersplash
Garnish
Orange peel, optional cherry
Method
- 1Muddle the sugar with bitters and a little water in the glass.
- 2Add the whiskey and one large ice cube.
- 3Stir gently to combine and chill.
- 4Express an orange peel over the top; add a cherry if you like.
The lesson
This is the baseline for every spirit-forward drink. Get it right and you understand how sweetness cuts bitterness while the spirit stays in charge — 40% of the classics make sense automatically.
Twist
Break this classicBreak it in the Lab — the twists and directions on this classic.
