Bourbon Old Fashioned: Big, Bold and Smooth
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A Bourbon Old Fashioned is one of the most classic of classic cocktails. Follow this easy recipe to craft an Old Fashioned at home in just five minutes.
Some cocktails like Cuban Daiquiris hail from exotic destinations while others feature eclectic ingredients like cachaça in Brazilian Caipirinhas. The Old Fashioned doesn’t fit into either of these categories.
Living up to its name, this classic cocktail is the opposite of new and trendy. Despite its stodginess, the Old Fashioned ranks as one of the most popular cocktails at bars and lounges in the USA and beyond.
This iconic status can’t be overstated when you consider that most bartenders serve the Old Fashioned in an Old Fashioned glass (think a lowball or ‘rocks’ glass.) Yes, the Old Fashioned is both a cocktail and cocktail barware.
History of the Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is a classic American cocktail that dates back to the 19th century. While Louisville claims the drink as its own, the Pre-Prohibition drink’s exact origin is as fuzzy as multiple Old Fashioned cocktails make us feel. Some historians link the drink to the days of the American Civil War though others go back further.
Discover more Pre-Prohibition cocktails.
While numerous cocktails have come and gone over the past two centuries, the Old Fashioned has retained its relevance over the years. A Hollywood favorite, the drink hit its pop cultural apex as Don Draper’s preferred cocktail in the TV show Mad Men.
Our history with the Old Fashioned may have started while watching Mad Men but it solidified when we toured the Buffalo Trace distillery during our 2016 US road trip. That visit validated our appreciation for the premium Kentucky bourbon and motivated us to buy a bottle once we moved to Lisbon.
Before long, we were experimenting with Buffalo Trace recipes and crafting drinks at home with the Kentucky distilled liquor.
Ingredients
You can count the ingredients in a Bourbon Old Fashioned on one hand. These ingredients include a sugar cube, bourbon, bitters and orange peel as well as water (both room temperature and frozen).
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
We’re partial to jumbo-sized ice cubes. Big chunky blocks displace more water, cooling the drink with every sip. They also take longer to melt and, let’s face it, they look as cool as Cary Grant in a railroad lounge car.
As noted above, Buffalo Trace is our gateway bourbon. With smooth flavors and hints of caramel and vanilla, the moderately priced Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is a great bourbon choice for an Old Fashioned recipe.
Discover more bourbon cocktails.
Adding Angostura bitters provides a spicy flavor with a kick. Not only does the herbaceous concoction contain more than 40 ingredients, but it also has a 44.7% ABV.
How to Craft a Bourbon Old Fashioned
Despite its sophisticated flavors, the Old Fashioned is one of the easiest cocktails to craft at home. The drink only has a few ingredients and doesn’t require any special equipment except a jigger, muddler (or, if so desired, a mortar and pestle) and a bar spoon.
Muddling is a key step in our recipe. It’s also the most fun step as this is when the aromas start to drift out of the glass.
We like to spread the muddled sugar around the glass. Doing this primes the glass and distributes the flavor.
We mentioned that we like to use jumbo ice cubes and we weren’t kidding. We even bought a special jumbo ice cube tray for cocktails like the Old Fashioned. The jumbo ice cube tray was relatively pricey, but there’s nothing like popping out a giant cube and plopping it into a rocks glass.
Since bourbon is the most important ingredient in a Bourbon Old Fashioned, this is not an ingredient to scrimp on. Instead, find your favorite bourbon and use it in this drink. We typically use Buffalo Trace. For us, this is the best bourbon for an Old Fashioned recipe.
If you don’t have access to Buffalo Trace where you live, we recommend using Four Roses, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve or any other quality bourbon.
After gently stirring the cocktail, the last step is to express the orange peel over the rim of the glass before dropping the garnish into the glass.
Expressing coats the rim with a light layer of orange oil that tempts the nose and tickles the taste buds.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll be like us and fall in love with our classic Old Fashioned recipe. It’s both an oldie and a goodie.
Variations
We adore the simplicity of the classic Bourbon Old Fashioned recipe. However, we understand if you want to get creative by experimenting with the drink’s ingredients. Here are some ideas to pique your creativity:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Bourbon Old Fashioned Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 sugar cube
- 1 splash water
- 1 ice cube (large)
- 1 orange peel (garnish)
Instructions
- Drop sugar cube into an old fashioned glass.
- Add dashes of bitters and water and then muddle until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Place the ice cube in the glass.
- Pour the bourbon into the glass.
- Gently stir.
- Express the glass with an orange peel slice before adding it as garnish.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, Sugar Cube, Water, Orange Peel (for garnish) and Ice Cubes
You should use your favorite bourbon in this cocktail recipe. We typically use Buffalo Trace but your favorite bourbon will work just fine.
The Bourbon Old Fashioned is stirred, not shaken.
We like to serve this cocktail in a lowball glass and you should do the same.
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