Old Fashioned: Recipe, 4 Variations & 6 Alternatives

Diana Barkley (Senior Editor)

The Old Fashioned is a well-known and well-loved whiskey cocktail. It’s known for its class and sophistication and is widely considered among the most iconic and classic cocktails. Learn here everything you need to know about the Old Fashioned.

To make a good Old Fashioned, you’ll need to follow the classic recipe and use high-quality ingredients. Once you’ve got the basics down, this simple drink is perfect to experiment with.

We’ll cover everything you need to know about this cocktail in this article, including what the Old Fashioned is, the best times and occasions for the cocktail, and variations of the drink.

We’ll also discuss many more knowledge, tips, and tricks, so let’s get straight into it.

Introduction to Old Fashioned

Introduction to Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is a refined cocktail, associated with elegant gatherings, fancy dinner parties, and even posh gentlemen’s clubs.

It is almost always ranked among the ten most popular cocktails in the world, with some lists even putting it at number one.

It also had a surge of renewed interest following the release of the hit TV show Mad Men as it’s the drink of choice of the main character, Don Draper.

The Old Fashioned is also the official cocktail of Louisville, Kentucky, where it is rumored the cocktail originated.

What Old Fashioned Is

What Old Fashioned Is

So, what is an Old Fashioned anyway? Essentially, it’s a cocktail made from muddled sugar, water, and bitters, along with whisky that is typically garnished with an orange slice, orange peel, and/or a maraschino cherry. It’s a lovely drink for any occasion but is traditionally drunk before dinner.

Brief History / Origin

Brief History / Origin

The Old Fashioned gets its name for a reason: it’s an older cocktail that came about before modern drink-making trends.

It likely originated sometime in the early 19th century, before adding liqueurs and sugar syrups to mixed drinks was in fashion. Instead, the Old Fashioned and other early cocktails muddle sugar and water to add sweetness.

The Old Fashioned as we know it today is claimed to have been invented by a bartender at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, sometime after the gentlemen’s club opened in 1881.

The story goes that James E. Pepper, the famous whiskey maker, visited the club and that the Old Fashioned was created in his honor. However, likely, it was around for a while before that, at least in reference to the style of making drinks.

Ingredients

Ingredients

According to the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the official ingredients in an Old Fashioned are 45ml of rye or bourbon whisky, a sugar cube, a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, and plain water.

Angostura bitters are a type of concentrated, alcoholic bitters, named for the town in Venezuela where they originated. However, they are now made around the world.

In addition, Old Fashioneds are typically served over a large chuck or round of ice. This larger ice shape means that it melts slower, so your drink does not get dilute but remains chilled.

Traditional garnishes for the cocktail include an orange slice, orange peel or zest, and cocktail or maraschino cherries.

Best Whisky Brands for Old Fashioned

Best Whisky Brands for Old Fashioned

When you’re making an Old Fashioned, the ingredient that matters most is the spirits. While this is true for most cocktails, it’s especially important for simple drinks like the Old Fashioned where the flavor of the alcohol will shine through strongly.

You can always use your favorite rye or bourbon whisky – but if you need a starting point, these are our main suggestions:

1. Bulleit Bourbon: This high-quality bourbon sticks to the roots of the Old Fashioned, as it’s made using an old family recipe, as well as genuine Kentucky limestone filtered water.

2. Woodford Reserve: This bourbon gets its name from the spirit’s origins at Woodford Reserve Distillery in 1812. It’s double-aged in white oak barrels that are made and charred on site, giving it strong woody notes and a rich, dark taste.

3. Maker’s Mark: Maker’s Mark is a household name in whisky, and is known for its iconic dripping red wax seal. Unlike most bourbons, which are made with rye, Maker’s Mark uses soft red winter wheat, which gives it a more full, rounded-out taste with little sharpness.

4. Knob Creek: Knob Creek prides itself on its slow aging process, with its whiskeys being tempered for at least nine years before they are bottled and sold. This means that Knob Creek whiskeys are stronger, full-bodied, and bursting with flavor.

5. Buffalo Trace: Buffalo Trace is a deep, smooth whisky with an aroma of mint, vanilla, and molasses. It’s sweeter than some, with a pleasant warm, snickerdoodle finish. Their bourbon is in such high demand that they even have a purchasing limit imposed at their distillery.

6. Wild Turkey 101: Wild Turkey 101 is named because it’s 101 proof (or 50.5% ABV), making it one of the strongest whiskeys on the market. If you use it in your Old Fashioned, definitely proceed with caution.

7. Four Roses Single Barrel: Four Roses Single Barrel definitely lives up to its name as well – each bottle is hand-numbered so you can trace back to exactly which barrel it came from.

8. Elijah Craig Small Batch: Elijah Craig Small Batch is another excellent high-end whisky that gets its name from a Virginia reverend. Legend has it that Rev. Elijah Craig was storing barrels of whisky when he experienced a devastating fire.

9. Rittenhouse Rye: This rye whisky is strong with bold flavors and notes of spices, dried fruit, caramel, and oak. Its complex and pleasing palette has led this spirit to gain many accolades, including being the two-time winner of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

10. Angel’s Envy Bourbon: This straight Kentucky bourbon is aged in port wine casks, giving it a unique flavor and a beautiful and distinctive dark amber-red color. At 119.8 proof (59.9% ABV) it’s a super strong whisky and has notes of apple, caramel, and brown sugar, along with tannins.

Recipe – How to Make an Old Fashioned

Recipe – How to Make an Old Fashioned

Thirsty yet? Here’s a step-by-step guide to making this classic cocktail:

1. Muddle: Add your sugar and bitters into a mixing glass, then add in your water, and stir briskly until the sugar is close to dissolved
2. Mix: Fill your mixing glass with ice, and into your bourbon, and stir (don’t shake) until the cocktail is well chilled and fully combined
3. Pour: Strain the mixture into your serving glass over a large ice cube, ensuring that you pour slowly and don’t splash
4. Garnish: Rub the edge of your orange peel or slice of orange around the rim of the glass, then add it to the top of the cocktail. Then add in your cocktail cherry and/or zest if you’re using it

Enjoy: Serve immediately and sip slowly.

Time & Occasions for Drinking an Old Fashioned

Time & Occasions for Drinking an Old Fashioned

Traditionally, Old Fashioned’s are served before dinner, during greetings, and the warming up of an event. However these days, they’re just as popular as an after-dinner treat as well.

As this cocktail is simple and well-known, you should be in luck ordering it out at any bar – and it’s a safe bet in front of anyone you’re trying to impress.

Seasonally, Old Fashioneds are more associated with the cooler months as the whisky flavors are warming, spicy, and comforting.

Generally, darker spirit cocktails are more popular when it’s cold out and something strong and hearty is needed. Meanwhile, lighter spirits like gin and vodka are more associated with summer. This makes the Old Fashioned a great option to serve around the holidays as well.

Perfect Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Old Fashioneds generally pair well with rich, complex flavors. For snacks, try a bowl of spiced nuts, candied walnuts or pecans, or even in-the-shell peanuts. They also go amazingly with chocolates, cracklings, or even potato chips.

If you’re serving cocktails with appetizers, up the decadence, and try out bacon-wrapped figs. This meaty, indulgent treat with honey-sweet, tender fruit in the center pairs amazingly with the rich, sugary dark notes of the Old Fashioned.

Foods in the same vein work well for mains such as pork chops, duck, prime rib, and other rich meats. If you don’t want to serve meat, try salty cheese like goat, or aged cheddar, fattier appetizers like devilled eggs, and hearty mains like spicy chili, or sharp cheesy pasta.

However, this cocktail might be best served with dessert. Chocolate is a classic for a reason, try out a brownie, chocolate pie, or rich mud cake with your old-fashioned.

You can also lean further into the drink’s southern origins with a pecan pie, or emphasize the garnish with orange cheesecake.

Best Glass to Serve an Old Fashioned

Best Glass to Serve an Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is such an iconic cocktail that it actually has its own glass: the old fashioned glass. Also known as a low ball or rocks glass, this clear glass generally has a thick base that keeps it sturdy for muddling sugar, and a wide brim allowing the aroma of the whisky to escape.

Fancier glasses are often hand-cut in an appealing textured pattern that makes them beautiful to look at, as well as makes the glass easier to hold if it gathers condensation.

Variations of Old Fashioned

Variations of Old Fashioned

Since the Old Fashioned is an older cocktail, many variations on the drink have naturally come to life in the years since its creation.

While we don’t have the room to list them all, here are some popular twists on this classic drink. From the Summer Style Old Fashioned to the Zapatero, these variations bring a unique twist to a time-honored classic.

Benton’s Old Fashioned

Benton’s Old Fashioned

This drink may sound unusual, but don’t knock it until you try it. Originating in New York’s PDT, one of the best-known cocktail bars in the world, this concoction washes the bourbon base with bacon fat and substitutes the sugar for maple syrup.

The resulting drink is super smoky, with umami notes and a rich, sweet undertone.

Summer Style

You can make this drink ready for the beach by adding two simple changes: berries and citrus. Swap out the sugar for a berry-infused simple syrup, and add a little freshly squeezed orange juice for a lighter, fresher Old Fashioned.

Zapatero

Zapatero

This Mexican twist on the Old Fashioned adds in mezcal along with the bourbon for a complex, boozy base. It also uses orgeat, a syrup made from sugar, orange blossom, and almonds in place of the sugar, making the drink more multilayered and flavorful.

Try garnishing with a salt rim or a little chili powder to really bring out the zesty notes.

Brown Butter Old Fashioned

Brown Butter Old Fashioned

One of the most popular variations, this twist on the classic Old Fashioned uses brown butter-washed bourbon, and brown sugar or brown sugar syrup, to give it a decadent, rich sweetness with hints of caramel.

This really compliments the flavors of a nice bourbon and makes the cocktail even more indulgent and satisfying.

Have you ever fat-washed bourbon (or other liquor) before? It’s a pretty simple process to infuse your spirit with flavor. Simply melt your fat in a pan, pour the liquid fat into a Ziploc bag or Tupperware, mix well, and then put in the freezer.

The fat will solidify and can be removed easily, so you don’t have to worry about having a greasy cocktail. At the same time, it will leave a lovely, subtle flavor behind, enhancing your drink.

Similar Cocktails You Will Enjoy

Similar Cocktails You Will Enjoy

Looking to try something similar, but a little different? Many cocktails share features with the Old Fashioned and are delicious in their own right. Here are our top picks.

Manhattan

Manhattan

The Manhattan is another classic whisky cocktail, likely originating in New York City at the Manhattan Club, sometime in the mid-1870s.

Like the Old Fashioned, this cocktail uses rye whisky and Angostura bitters. However, rather than sugar, sweet red vermouth (fortified wine) is added for sweetness, and the drink is traditionally served in a cocktail glass without ice, and with a maraschino cherry as a garnish.

Sazerac

Sazerac

The Sazerac might be even older than the Old Fashioned. In fact, some champion the Sazerac as the oldest American cocktail.

It also uses whisky (or cognac), sugar, and bitters, though it traditionally is made using Peychaud’s Bitters rather than Angostura. However, the biggest twist in this drink is the addition of absinthe, which is washed around the glass before the rest of the drink is added, giving it a strong aroma and flavor.

Boulevardier

Boulevardier

The Boulevardier was first written down in Paris in the late 1920s, in a magazine of the same name. It is comprised of equal parts bourbon, Italian vermouth, and Campari, giving it a strong, sweet taste and a dark ruddy brown color.

It’s a great choice for those looking for a cocktail midway in between a Negroni and an Old Fashioned.

Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Sour

If you’re after a more modern-tasting, whiskey-based cocktail, the whiskey sour is a great choice. It’s made using simple syrup, lemon juice, and bourbon, giving it a tangy, sour, sweet, and strong flavor palette.

Despite the more modern inclusion of a simple syrup, this cocktail still dates back to at least 1870, proving its longevity and popularity.

Mint Julep

Mint Julep

This refreshing, Southern cocktail is another great use of bourbon. It’s made from whisky, sugar, water, crushed ice, and fresh mint (traditionally spearmint). It’s a sweet, cold, and cooling drink, typically served in a copper or silver cup to avoid heating up and melting too quickly.

Rusty Nail

Rusty Nail

Despite the name, the rusty nail is a pretty, high-brow, and simple cocktail made from Scotch whiskey and Drambuie (a whiskey-based liqueur).

While this drink doesn’t technically share any ingredients with the Old Fashioned, it’s another strong cocktail that highlights the flavor of a good whisky and has a bit of sweetness.

It’s also generally served on the rocks in an old-fashioned or highball glass with an orange peel garnish as well.

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