Old Fashioned drink recipe-do you have one?

[Old Smokey]

1/4 oz. demerara syrup
~2 dashes Angostura
~3 dashes Peychaud's
2 oz. Bourbon (roughly 90 proof is ideal, IMO)
Large ice cube(s)
<stir>
Orange peel

Pro tip: An almost-full bottle of bitters dishes out very small dashes, while a mostly empty bottle makes for larger dashes. Adjust accordingly.

I'm pretty laissez-faire when it comes to recipe variations -- do what makes you happy -- but please save the muddler and the soda water for mojito night.

 

[Red Ryder]

Alcohol threads here go off the rails quickly. You ask about old fashioned recipes and you get beer, gin and Manhattan replies. Some people’s kids! I love Rusty Nails, but this is an old fashioned thread, homies!

Maybe some of us are just old fashioned.

 

[red57strat]

I've been using Sugar In The Raw lately. I muddle it with bitters and a little water until it mostly dissolves, then muddle a cherry and orange peel into that. add ice and bourbon, express an orange peel and garnish with the orange peel and a cherry that hasn't been smashed up.

 

[Old Smokey]

Old Fashioned and Manhattan are just variations on the same theme.

I went on a "find the perfect Manhattan" kick a year or so ago. I discovered several things:

Use your favorite sippin' whiskey. Makes no difference what the brand is as long as you like it.

I found I like Peychaud bitters better than Angostura...but eventually found a crazy Vermouth that did away with any need for bitters at all. It is "Knight Gabriello Amaro Di Toscana"...amazing stuff. I tried it straight...not for the faint hearted. It has a bitter, eye-crossing time-bomb that goes off in your mouth about 10sec after tossing it back. Makes the best mixer though...and no need for bitters.

I went thru a half-dozen types of cherries but settled on "Bada Bing" maraschino cherries. I like to add a tsp of the syrup to the glass.

In cocktail history, a Manhattan is actually more closely related to a Martini than it is to an Old Fashioned, believe it or not.

Also, amaro is not a type of vermouth. Amaro is a bitter Italian liqueur and vermouth is a fortified wine. Amaro is a digestif. Vermouth is an aperitif.

A Manhattan made with amaro instead of vermouth is called a Black Manhattan.

 

[drf64]

1/4 oz. demerara syrup
~2 dashes Angostura
~3 dashes Peychaud's
2 oz. Bourbon (roughly 90 proof is ideal, IMO)
Large ice cube(s)
<stir>
Orange peel

Pro tip: An almost-full bottle of bitters dishes out very small dashes, while a mostly empty bottle makes for larger dashes. Adjust accordingly.

I'm pretty laissez-faire when it comes to recipe variations -- do what makes you happy -- but please save the muddler and the soda water for mojito night.

No syrup goes better with bourbon than rich Demerara

 

[Ed Driscoll]

For reasons that must have made sense at the time, in the mid-1990s, Wired magazine's Website had a superb cocktail column written by veteran mixologist Paul Harrington, until all of his articles were published in a book in 1998:

Here's the text of the history, mixing instructions, and the recipe for the Old Fashioned. Apologies if any typos snuck through the OCR process:

We can never quite resist an Old Fashioned, though the name of this whiskey drink still conjures up images of a church bingo game. This drink offers the sophisticated connoisseur a chance to indulge the senses and rekindle lost memories. Old-fashioned, yes, but certainly not weak, its strong enough to cut through any lingering thoughts of a bad day.

First, we combine a teaspoon of sugar with a splash of water and two dashes of Angostura bitters in the bottom of a large tumbler, then we toss in maraschino cherry and an orange wedge. After muddling these ingredients until their juices start to disperse, we add 2 ounces of whiskey, then fill it with ice and give it a good stir.

We often contemplate this drink’s supposed birth more than a hundred years ago, whether bourbon or rye was first used, and whether others along the way found it as soothing around the winter holidays as we do. Charles Browne, author of the 1939 Gun Club Drink Book, goes as far as to suggest that the Old Fashioned was probably the first American cocktail. We don't quite buy it, falling back as always on The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book of 1934, which credits Colonel James E. Pepper, proprietor of the once-celebrated Old 1776 bourbon, for introducing – or at least inspiring – the Old Fashioned at that bar. The colonel was a member of the blue-blooded Pendennis Club in Louisville, where a young bartender mixed it first. Of course, that's only one version of the drink's story. Those familiar with the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 – which ensued after Uncle Sam tried to enforce an excise tax in western Pennsylvania – insist that the region's rye whiskey producers fled to Kentucky with the Old Fashioned recipe in tow. We try to remain neutral on the matter, and -- like The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book -- tell the drink's tale, but make a nonpartisan call for “whiskey'” in the recipe.

Whether mixed with rye or bourbon, the first sip of an Old Fashioned makes the throat come alive, and we smile as the home fire burns inside us ever so boldly. At some point, though, the drink is transformed from the brimstone and fire of whiskey to a bouquet of cherry and oranges suspended gently over our taste buds. The Old Fashioned, with its layered taste, is an open invitation for both the whiskey lover and the froufrou cocktail drinker. It's frilly but disciplined; our cocktail compadres compare it to a good old-fashioned spanking.

RECIPE:

2 ounces whiskey

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

1 teaspoon sugar

Splash soda water

In a chilled Old Fashioned glass, muddle sugar, bitters, orange wheel, and maraschino cherry until sugar is dissolved. Add whisky and ice, and stir.

Optional: Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Old Fashioned cocktail provides an adequate test of mixing skills for a host. Versatile and simple to make, this drink lets hosts relax and guests feel special.

When catering to the requests of guests, keep in mind that varying the amount of bitters and sugar allows for flexibility with this drink. Another option is to add a dash of an orange liqueur such as Curacao or Cointreau. Old Fashioned aficionados may bicker with you about whether this drink should be made with simple syrup or with a sugar cube. From the imbiber’s perspective, simple syrup sweetens the whole drink, while an adequately muddled sugar cube sweetens primarily the last few sips.

Similar drinks include the Manhattan.

 

[Tonetele]

Porter gaff Black stout beer with a dash of lemonade.
Also Black Lady - Champagne and a dash of stout.

 

[MarkieMark]

Not that type of drink, but I make mead at home......possibly the oldest adult beverage ever......and perhaps vikings drank it from the skulls of their enemies.....doesn't get much more old fashioned than drinking from a skull, yes???

Even if its from my own?

Alcohol threads here go off the rails quickly. You ask about old fashioned recipes and you get beer, gin and Manhattan replies. Some people’s kids! I love Rusty Nails, but this is an old fashioned thread, homies!

Yawn.
Prove me wrong. I am willing to try. really am.
sitting.
waiting...

Nah.

For the record, Tonight I hesitantly tried my first experiment with a "Mexican Mule"
And I don't mean in some back alley in Tijuana either....

Pretty good invention and a successful experiment. I will be exploring this further after a nap.

 

[1293]

Funny here because one of our kids makes clear ice and great drinks among many great things in the kitchen. Some I know were or are ???? on the clear ice mater.

My freezers are too full to make clear ice at the moment. I need to organize. I made margaritas over the weekend. I smashed the ice in a Lewis bag.

 

[oregomike]

I love a good Old Fashioned and really love bourbon on the rocks. Someone made me an Old Fashioned this past weekend with brown sugar syrup vs regular or anything else. The drink was incredible and they put the blame on the homemade brown sugar simple syrup. I shall be making my own this week to use.

Just curious if anyone else has a favorite Old Fashioned recipe? Particularly, what bitters do you like to use. I normally use aromatic and a dash of some other bitters, I have several to choose from. A friend of mine always uses black walnut bitters and claims it makes his great, which there are.

As far as the bourbon, I love so many and use so many. That could be more of a rabbit hole, but I figure bitters, cherries and syrup or sugar can be a little easier to wrap arms around.

I'm always messing with my Old Fashioned's. Funny, I've been using walnut bitters once in a while too. The OF is a great drink to experiment with. My bourbon drink of choice is the Sazerac. No secrets other than don't mess with the ratio, and St. George Absinthe Verte sprayed with an atomizer. If you want to impress your friends, use a match and light the absinthe as you spray the glass.

 

[richiek65]

1 x teaspoon of sugar in a glass (or a squeeze of sugar syrup)
a good shake of bitters
add a very tiny splash of soda water (club soda?)
mix well
add ice
2 x shots of Wild Turkey or similar
couple of good slices of orange (not just the rind)
mix again
Drink.
Repeat.

 

[Unionjack515]

1 demarara sugar cube
2 dashes cinnamon bitters
2 dashes roasted pecan bitters
1 bar spoon lukewarm water
-muddle-
1 large format ice cube
2 oz Bulleit bourbon
-stir-
orange peel rubbed around rim of glass then added to drink
Luxardo cherry on pick

 

[gimmeatele]

Vodka and fresh orange juice

 

[trapdoor2]

In cocktail history, a Manhattan is actually more closely related to a Martini than it is to an Old Fashioned, believe it or not.

Also, amaro is not a type of vermouth. Amaro is a bitter Italian liqueur and vermouth is a fortified wine. Amaro is a digestif. Vermouth is an aperitif.

A Manhattan made with amaro instead of vermouth is called a Black Manhattan.

I found it in with the vermouths at Totalwine, therefore: vermouth!

 

[Engine Swap]

I'm always messing with my Old Fashioned's. Funny, I've been using walnut bitters once in a while too. The OF is a great drink to experiment with. My bourbon drink of choice is the Sazerac. No secrets other than don't mess with the ratio, and St. George Absinthe Verte sprayed with an atomizer. If you want to impress your friends, use a match and light the absinthe as you spray the glass.

A well-made Sazerac is something to savor

 

[phart]

I’ll never understand the sugar cube purists. The drink is called an Old Fashioned because it’s very old! It predates things like refrigeration, anti-caking agents, etc. Sugar was sold in cubes back in the day because there was no way to sell a bag of granulated sugar like we’re used to today without it turning into a solid brick from humidity. Early bartenders used sugar cubes because they had no other option.

But, come on, there is no earthly reason to use sugar cubes in the year of our lord 2022 other that hipster affectation. Use simple syrup like a civilized human being.

 

[bottlenecker]

As a Wisconsinite, I always find it disturbing to see scotch or bourbon referred to with an Old Fashioned. I'm pretty sure the brandy old fashioned is an official beverage in Wisconsin. Here's the official recipe from Korbel:

OLD FASHIONED​

1 1⁄2 oz Korbel California Brandy
2 dashes Angostura® Bitters
1 tsp. Sugar / simple sugar
1 Orange slice
Top off With lemon-lime soda
1 Cherry
Muddle the sugar with the bitters and orange slice in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass. Add Korbel California Brandy and some ice cubes. Stir and garnish with orange slice and cherry.

I don't know how much brandy Korbel makes, but I'm pretty sure Wisconsin buys it all.

Finally, an old fashioned I recognize.
I ordered a korbel and coke in vegas once and the bartender looked at me like I had three eyes. At the time I had no idea korbel meant champagne outside wisconsin. The bar had no brandy at all.

 

[Jerry_Mountains]

I have a traditional way of making and old fashioned and a mexican way.

The trad:

In a chilled glass I put three barspoons of brown sugar, three dashes of bitters (at the time I have Orange and Vanilla Bitters) and a bit of soda to disolve the sugar, then I add 2oz or 2.5 oz of bourbon (My preference is Makers Mark, Elijah Craig or Bulleit), stir a little bit then I put a big piece of clear tempered ice and stir again for about 8 seconds, then express the oils of an orange peel and a lemon peel, in a toothpick I make a simple garnish with the remaining peels and a maraschino cherry and thats all.

The mexican way:

Basically the same procedure as above but I put only two barspoons of sugar and I add half of a barspoon of worm salt, the bitters I use for this are Tres Chiles bitters from a local company and disolve with Topo Chico. Instead of bourbon I use Mezcal and the oils are from an orange peel and a lime (or limon) peel, no cherry.

 

[drmordo]

The Old Fashioned is a drink that has gotten crappier over the years. Muddling an orange with bourbon is disgusting and a modern bastardization of the recipe. Orange and bourbon is gross no matter how you do it.

The recipe I use is from The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, which is the only drink book worth a dang IMO.

Old Fashioned

• 12 parts American whiskey
• 1 part simple syrup
• 1–3 dashes Angostura bitters to each drink

In an old-fashioned glass, add bitters to simple syrup and stir. Add about 1 ounce of whiskey and stir again. Add two cubes of cracked, but not crushed, ice and top off with the rest of the whiskey. Twist lemon peel over the top and serve garnished with the lemon peel and a maraschino cherry.

The only modification I have made is to mix Angostura and Peychaud's bitters, which is a next level tweak IMO.

This is the way.

 

[drmordo]

For reasons that must have made sense at the time, in the mid-1990s, Wired magazine's Website had a superb cocktail column written by veteran mixologist Paul Harrington, until all of his articles were published in a book in 1998:

View attachment 984490

Here's the text of the history, mixing instructions, and the recipe for the Old Fashioned. Apologies if any typos snuck through the OCR process:

We can never quite resist an Old Fashioned, though the name of this whiskey drink still conjures up images of a church bingo game. This drink offers the sophisticated connoisseur a chance to indulge the senses and rekindle lost memories. Old-fashioned, yes, but certainly not weak, its strong enough to cut through any lingering thoughts of a bad day.

First, we combine a teaspoon of sugar with a splash of water and two dashes of Angostura bitters in the bottom of a large tumbler, then we toss in maraschino cherry and an orange wedge. After muddling these ingredients until their juices start to disperse, we add 2 ounces of whiskey, then fill it with ice and give it a good stir.

We often contemplate this drink’s supposed birth more than a hundred years ago, whether bourbon or rye was first used, and whether others along the way found it as soothing around the winter holidays as we do. Charles Browne, author of the 1939 Gun Club Drink Book, goes as far as to suggest that the Old Fashioned was probably the first American cocktail. We don't quite buy it, falling back as always on The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book of 1934, which credits Colonel James E. Pepper, proprietor of the once-celebrated Old 1776 bourbon, for introducing – or at least inspiring – the Old Fashioned at that bar. The colonel was a member of the blue-blooded Pendennis Club in Louisville, where a young bartender mixed it first. Of course, that's only one version of the drink's story. Those familiar with the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 – which ensued after Uncle Sam tried to enforce an excise tax in western Pennsylvania – insist that the region's rye whiskey producers fled to Kentucky with the Old Fashioned recipe in tow. We try to remain neutral on the matter, and -- like The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book -- tell the drink's tale, but make a nonpartisan call for “whiskey'” in the recipe.

Whether mixed with rye or bourbon, the first sip of an Old Fashioned makes the throat come alive, and we smile as the home fire burns inside us ever so boldly. At some point, though, the drink is transformed from the brimstone and fire of whiskey to a bouquet of cherry and oranges suspended gently over our taste buds. The Old Fashioned, with its layered taste, is an open invitation for both the whiskey lover and the froufrou cocktail drinker. It's frilly but disciplined; our cocktail compadres compare it to a good old-fashioned spanking.

RECIPE:

2 ounces whiskey

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

1 teaspoon sugar

Splash soda water

In a chilled Old Fashioned glass, muddle sugar, bitters, orange wheel, and maraschino cherry until sugar is dissolved. Add whisky and ice, and stir.

Optional: Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Old Fashioned cocktail provides an adequate test of mixing skills for a host. Versatile and simple to make, this drink lets hosts relax and guests feel special.

When catering to the requests of guests, keep in mind that varying the amount of bitters and sugar allows for flexibility with this drink. Another option is to add a dash of an orange liqueur such as Curacao or Cointreau. Old Fashioned aficionados may bicker with you about whether this drink should be made with simple syrup or with a sugar cube. From the imbiber’s perspective, simple syrup sweetens the whole drink, while an adequately muddled sugar cube sweetens primarily the last few sips.

Similar drinks include the Manhattan.

I had a "bartender" make me an OF like this once, and it was bad enough that I seriously considered throwing it on him.

Soda water and an orange wheel? NOPE.

The failure of beertenders to be able to make BASIC cocktails is why I usually order beer or something they can't screw up like gin and tonic. Things have gotten better over the last decade, but there are still a staggering number of "bartenders" who simply do not know how to mix basic drinks that every bartender should know.