MIXOLOGY In the world of cocktails, the old fashioned is the person who walks into a room and doesn't need an introduction. They've been in the game for so long that everyone knows them. Everyone admires and respects them.
As cocktail recipes pop up and disappear by the season, the old fashioned remains. Making the best old fashioned at home is really easy: Bourbon whiskey, a little sugar, and a dash of bitters, stirred up with quality ice and garnished with an orange peel — that's all there is to it. Let's break it down a little bit, starting with the ingredients.
Bourbon Bourbon whiskey is the star of the show when it comes to the old fashioned. It stands out front and center, which is why you want to choose a good-quality bourbon whiskey. No need to break the bank on a bottle; a $20 to $30 price range should do the trick.
A few of my personal favorites are Bulleit, Four Roses, 1792 and Elijah Craig Small Batch. Even though the bourbon whiskey steals the spotlight, the sugar and bitters are no slackers. They take the award for best supporting actors and help tame the bite whiskey brings.
Simple syrup I recommend that the sugar used in the old fashioned be in the form of a simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water). Simple syrup blends best when mixing cocktails because it's already in liquid form. Some cocktail purists advocate for only using sugar cubes when making an old fashioned, but I find it to be annoying having to muddle and stir a sugar cube until all the minuscule sugar crystals dissolve.
A simple syrup is the easier, smarter choice. Bitters Bitters are the "salt and pepper" of the cocktail world. They're small alcoholic tinctures made with a blend of herbs and spices, and they range in various flavors.
For an old fashioned, angostura bitters are the standard. They help to bind ingredients, enhance flavors and round out the cocktail. We've all experienced a meal that was good but seemed to be missing something — perhaps a little salt? It's the exact same with cocktails and bitters.
Just like salt, though, a little bit goes a long way. Add too much of the bitters and you completely change the flavor profile of the old fashioned. You only need a couple of dashes.
Building your old fashioned When mixing cocktails, the process generally falls into two camps: shaken or stirred. An old fashioned is a stirred cocktail. For a general rule of thumb, if a cocktail contains only spirits, then you want to stir.
If a cocktail contains juice, dairy or egg white, then you shake it. When building your old fashioned, combine all of the ingredients into a mixing glass before adding the ice. I highly recommend using cubed ice from the grocery store or ice cubes formed from filtered water.
Remember that the water that dilutes from your ice will be in your drink, so it matters. TheKitchn.com is a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking.
Submit any comments or questions to [email protected] . Classic old fashioned cocktail Yield: 1 cocktail Ingredients ■ 2 ounces bourbon whiskey ■ 1⁄4 ounce simple syrup ■ 2 dashes angostura bitters ■ Ice ■ Orange peel, for garnish Directions Mix: Place the bourbon, simple syrup and angostura bitters in a mixing glass.
Add the ice and stir with a bar spoon for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain: Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over one large ice cube, or cubed ice. Garnish: Pare an orange peel and express the oils from the back of the peel over the old fashioned.
Rub the peel around the rim of the glass and drop the peel into the glass. Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
