Name: Old Fashioned
Prep time: 4 min
Total time: 4 min
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients: 1 ½ oz Bourbon; 1 cube Sugar; 2 dashes Angostura bitters; 1 dash Water

Old Fashioned

Whiskey, a little sugar and aromatic bitters, stirred over a big cube. The drink that started it all, and still one of the best.

Time

4 min

Difficulty

Medium

Method

Stirred

Glass

Rocks glass

Ingredients

Servings

Bourbon — or rye1 ½ oz
Sugar1 cube
Angostura bitters2 dashes
Water1 dash

Garnish: Orange peel (1), Cherry (1)

How to make it

1
In a rocks glass, soak the sugar cube with bitters and a dash of water, then crush it.
2
Add a large ice cube and the whiskey.
3
Stir until well chilled, about 30 seconds.
4
Express an orange peel over the drink and drop it in.

Swap it: Replace the sugar cube with 7.5 ml simple syrup for a faster build.

Bar gear

Tools you'll need

Mixing glassA heavy glass for stirred drinks like the Manhattan, so they chill without getting cloudy.
Bar spoonA long, thin spoon for stirring, layering and fishing out cherries.
Julep strainerA spoon-shaped strainer that sits inside a mixing glass for stirred drinks.
JiggerA double-sided measure so every drink comes out the same. Look for one marked in ½ and ¼ oz.
Large ice cube moldMakes big, slow-melting cubes that keep spirit-forward drinks cold without watering them down.
Y-peelerCuts wide citrus peels for twists and expressed oils with no bitter pith.

Recommended glassware

Rocks glassShort and sturdy — for spirit-forward drinks and sours over ice.

No shaker? A clean jar with a tight lid works. Build your home bar →

Recipe source: IBA Official Cocktail specification. Quantities and basic method are factual. Description and steps are original Mixistry copy. Last updated 2026-10-11.

Contains alcohol. For adults of legal drinking age — please enjoy responsibly.