Sipwise

Old Fashioned

The original cocktail. A spirit-forward showcase of whiskey, mellowed slightly with sugar and aromatic bitters.

More drinks like this
Old Fashioned cocktail made with whiskey, served in a rocks glass
Base
whiskey
Glassware
Rocks glass
Flavor Profile
strongsweet

Ingredients

  • 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
  • 1 sugar cube (or 0.25 oz simple syrup)
  • 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Orange peel, to garnish

Instructions

  1. 1Muddle the sugar cube with bitters and a splash of water in a rocks glass.
  2. 2Add whiskey and a large ice cube, then stir to combine and chill.
  3. 3Express an orange peel over the drink and drop it in.

Origin & Story

Louisville, Kentucky, 1880s

Bartenders at the Pendennis Club are often credited with popularizing this stripped-back whiskey, sugar, and bitters formula as a reaction against the increasingly fussy cocktails of the Victorian era.