Old Fashioned cocktail in a rocks glass — Angostura bitters

Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

boozy bitter sweet

bourbon, sugar, angostura bitters, water

History

The Old Fashioned is the purest expression of the original 1806 definition of a “cocktail”: spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. That simple formula—first recorded in an upstate New York newspaper—was the standard Whiskey Cocktail of the early 19th century. By the 1880s, as bartenders began “improving” drinks with liqueurs and extra ingredients, drinkers started requesting the traditional version “the old-fashioned way.” The name stuck. Still the most elemental and enduring of all cocktails—boozy, balanced, and endlessly satisfying. The sugar cube and Angostura bitters build is the drink people search; simple syrup dissolves faster if that is what is on the home bar. Bourbon is the usual pantry bottle; rye makes the same Old Fashioned spicier.

Ingredients

bourbon 2 oz

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sugar 1 cube

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angostura bitters 2 dashes

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water few dashes

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Missing a bottle? Stock your pantry to see what else you can mix.

How to make

Place a sugar cube in a rocks glass and soak it with Angostura bitters and a few dashes of water.
Muddle until the sugar mostly dissolves — a bar spoon of simple syrup from the pantry stands in if you are out of cubes.
Add 2 oz bourbon and a large ice cube.
Rye from the pantry makes a spicier Old Fashioned.
Stir until the drink is cold and slightly diluted.
Express an orange twist over the glass and drop it in as garnish.

Glassware

Rocks glass

Short and sturdy for spirit-forward drinks served on ice — easy to hold, stir, and sip without watering down too fast.

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Old Fashioned FAQ

Is an Old Fashioned made with a sugar cube and bitters?

Yes. This recipe soaks a sugar cube with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and a few dashes of water, then adds 2 oz bourbon and a large ice cube. That sugar-cube Old Fashioned is the classic. Simple syrup from the pantry is the faster swap if you are out of cubes. Rye whiskey is the spicier bottle.

What ingredients are in an Old Fashioned?

An Old Fashioned is made with bourbon, sugar, angostura bitters, and water. Amounts and pantry matching are in the ingredients list on this page.

How do you make an Old Fashioned?

Place a sugar cube in a rocks glass and soak it with Angostura bitters and a few dashes of water. Muddle until the sugar mostly dissolves — a bar spoon of simple syrup from the pantry stands in if you are out of cubes. Add 2 oz bourbon and a large ice cube. Rye from the pantry makes a spicier Old Fashioned. Stir until the drink is cold and slightly diluted. Express an orange twist over the glass and drop it in as garnish.

What glass do you serve an Old Fashioned in?

Serve an Old Fashioned in a Rocks glass. Short and sturdy for spirit-forward drinks served on ice — easy to hold, stir, and sip without watering down too fast.