100 Best Old Fashioned Recipes (2024)

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What is the best Old Fashioned in the world? ›

BEST OLD FASHIONED IN THE WORLD 2 oz Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 4 dashes Angostura Bitters 4 dashes Orange Bitters 1 tsp Rich Syrup - Demerara 2 drops Salt Water Orange Peel, Lemon Peel A touch of love Listen, this ain't a Wisconsin fruit salad in a glass, I didn't use rye whiskey, and a lemon peel slaps in an old ...

The classic way to make an Old Fashioned starts with placing a sugar cube at the bottom of a glass, adding a few dashes of bitters and a splash of water and muddling until it's completely dissolved. This is still a great option, but many people use simple syrup for ease and convenience.

Mix the co*cktail: 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 the co*cktail: Strain the co*cktail into a rocks glass over one large ice cube, or cubed ice.

There are few drinks manlier than an Old Fashioned. But the simple syrup in this staple (as well as co*cktails like a Whiskey Sour) isn't so simple, nutritionally speaking. “Just 1-ounce packs in over 5 teaspoons of added sugar,” Holthaus says. “And a 6-ounce Old Fashioned will cost you around 260 calories.”

Consequently, some traditionalists insist an Old-Fashioned should be made with rye, but bourbon is equally correct and the choice of whiskey should be entirely up to the personal taste of the drinker. Bourbon makes a mellow, slightly sweeter drink, while rye adds more spice and kick.

With bitters, a little bit goes a long way. Two or three drops will add much depth to your Old Fashioned.

The OLD FASHIONED - Angostura. “A thing of austere beauty: a lump of sugar, dissolved with a little water and two dashes of bitters, whiskey, a bit of ice and a lemon peel garnish.” Brad Thomas Parsons. Simple, and elegant, the Old Fashioned remains a classic in the co*cktail world.

The classic recipe, according to most mixologists, calls for Brown Demerara sugar cubes. Sugar cubes are previously measured, allowing for consistent whiskey to bitters ratios. The Angostura aromatic bitters have a rich scent of fruits and spices and are a necessary component of any classic Old Fashioned co*cktail.

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What is the best bourbon for an Old Fashioned? ›

Best Overall Bourbon for an Old Fashioned: Old Grand Dad 114

Old Grand Dad 114 earns our distinction of the best bourbon for old fashioned. Orange zest, cinnamon, and burnt sugar are the signature tasting notes of Old Grand Dad 114 Proof .

The best old fashioned recipes call for sugar to balance the alcohol. I use simple syrup, which quickly dissolves and is simple to make. It also allows us to play around and use brown sugar instead of white sugar for the syrup, giving our co*cktail a caramel-like flavor that works well with whiskey or rum.

The Best Bitters for an Old Fashioned

Angostura bitters is traditionally used in an Old Fashioned. Fun fact: Apparently Angostura bitters is kind of like Coca Cola, in that only five people on earth know the recipe, which reportedly consists of over 40 different herbs and spices!

That's because the Brandy Old Fashioned is the (un)official co*cktail of Wisconsin. Nationally, Old Fashioneds are typically made with rye or bourbon whiskey, but the true Wisconsin Old Fashioned is made with brandy -- Korbel by tradition.

The first whiskey old fashioned recipe was printed in 1895 in Modern American Drinks by George Kappeler. His recipe instructs the reader to dissolve a lump of sugar in water, add two dashes of bitters, a piece of ice, lemon-peel and one jigger whiskey.

The widespread availability of the co*cktail has made it a deeply personal tradition for most Wisconsinites, often evoking deep-seated memories. “A brandy Old Fashioned was my first co*cktail with my dad,” says Hughes. “I definitely have had plenty of them, but every time you taste one, it brings you back.”

Due to the popularity of the co*cktail (when made with brandy) in the state of Wisconsin, the brandy old fashioned was named Wisconsin's state co*cktail in 2023.