Cocktail recipe
Old Fashioned
Spirit-forward whiskey classic with bitters and sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon Whiskey
- 0.25 oz Demerara Syrup
- 2 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
- 1 piece Orange Peel
Method
- Add the Bourbon Whiskey, demerara syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until chilled and strain over fresh ice.
- Express orange peel over drink and garnish.
Story
The word 'cocktail' was defined in print in 1806 as spirits, sugar, water and bitters, which is exactly this drink. By the 1880s drinkers were asking for a whiskey cocktail 'the old-fashioned way' to avoid newer additions like liqueurs and absinthe, and the name stuck. Louisville's Pendennis Club claims it, though the evidence is thin.
Bartender notes
Split bourbon and rye for added spice without losing body.
Tips
- Use one large cube and stir; dilution is part of the recipe.
- Skip the muddled fruit unless you want the Wisconsin version on purpose.