Old Fashioned

The most well-known whiskey cocktail in the world. Essentially just a slug of bourbon that’s been lightly sweetened with sugar and modified with a couple dashes of bitters. The three-part template of the Old Fashioned is one that’s found in countless spirit-forward and aromatic cocktails today: spirit, sugar, and bitters. Sugar softens the whiskey, tamping down the liquor’s heat while creating a more viscous mouthfeel and allowing its subtler elements to shine through. Bitters temper the sugar’s sweetness and help add depth of flavor that keeps the drink from becoming cloying. A properly made Old Fashioned shouldn’t taste sweet, nor should it taste bitter, nor should it taste overwhelmingly of straight whiskey. When you sip the drink and can’t pick out any one of these qualities over the others, you’ve got a proper Old Fashioned. Bourbon is often the go-to whiskey choice for an Old Fashioned. The relatively heavy body of the mostly corn-based spirit creates structure within the cocktail, and its natural sweetness helps counterbalance the more astringent elements of bitters. As bourbon is aged in charred new oak barrels, it tends to take on notes of vanilla and caramel, which are brought out by the addition of sugar. They also help to reduce the perceived heat of the alcohol, in turn allowing the spirit’s nuances to come through more cleanly.

Old Fashioned (Liquor.com version)

Add the sugar cube to a mixing glass.
Add bitter drops to top of sugar cube.
Add the teaspoon of water to the top of the sugar cube.
Muddle the sugar, water, and bitters.
Add ice and bourbon to the mixing glass.
Stir well to chill.
Add a large ice sphere to a lowball glass.
Strain the liquid from the mixing glass to the lowball glass.
Express the oil of an orange twist over the glass (optionally over a lit match).
Drop the orange twist into the glass to garnish.