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The perfect Old Fashioned cocktail combines both sweet and bitter flavors with spicy rye whiskey. As a classically-trained chef with plenty of cocktail-making experience under my belt, I’ve perfected this Old Fashioned drink recipe so you don’t have to experiment. Just grab 4 classic cocktail ingredients and start mixing!
Meggan’s notes
The secret this my version is to use both regular bitters and orange bitters. The orange bitters mirror the orange slice hanging on the edge of your glass, the most classic garnish of an Old Fashioned. You can also add a maraschino cherry if you want to.
The original cocktails were made with a muddled sugar cube. I prefer the smoothness of simple syrup here, but the grittiness of sugar cubes might remind you of Mojito – not necessarily a bad thing! I cover the sugar cube substitution in Recipe Tips.
I’ll also cover some fun variations including Wisconsin’s state cocktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned. Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner party, a Roaring Twenties themed bash, or just enjoying some charcuterie and cocktails, a classic Old Fashioned is a simple, sophisticated choice
Table of Contents
Old Fashioned Cocktail Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Old Fashioned Ingredient Notes
- Whiskey: Rye whiskey has a spicy, aggressive flavor and its mash must be made from at least 51% rye.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
How to Make Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe
- To a mixing glass, add rye whiskey, simple syrup, and both bitters. Fill the glass three-quarters full with ice.
- Using a bar spoon, stir until mixture is just combined and chilled, about 15-30 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into chilled Old Fashioned glass, then fill glass half way with ice. Twist the orange peel and rub around the rim of the glass. Garnish with the orange peel.
Old Fashioned Drink Recipe Tips and Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Sugar cube: To use a sugar cube, omit simple syrup in step 1. Add sugar cube to Old Fashioned glass after straining cocktail and combine using a muddler. Add ice and continue with step 2.
- Glassware: An Old Fashioned cocktail is traditionally made in an Old Fashioned glass, a 6-ounce to 10-ounce glass tumbler. Similar to a rocks glass or lowball glass, the Old Fashioned glass is decorated in the cut glass style.
- Big batch: Old Fashioned cocktails are best blended individually, one drink at a time.
- Brandy Old Fashioned: The most popular supper club drink in Wisconsin has brandy instead of whiskey, and its sweetened with maraschino cherry juice and grapefruit soda.
- Fizzy Old Fashioned: A sweeter version made with blood orange soda.
- Strawberry Old Fashioned: Muddle strawberries with the bitters in the mixing glass.
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Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rye whiskey (¼ cup, see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup or 1 sugar cube (see notes 2 and 3)
- 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters (about ⅛ teaspoon)
- 2 to 3 dashes Angostura orange bitters (about ⅛ teaspoon)
- 1 twist orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- To a mixing glass, add rye whiskey, simple syrup, and both bitters. Fill the glass three-quarters full with ice.
- Using a bar spoon, stir until mixture is just combined and chilled, about 15-30 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into chilled Old Fashioned glass, then fill glass half way with ice. Twist the orange peel and rub around the rim of the glass. Garnish with the orange peel.
Notes
- Whiskey: Rye whiskey has a spicy, aggressive flavor and its mash must be made from at least 51% rye.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.