100 Best Old Fashioned Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is an Old Fashioned better with simple syrup or sugar cube? ›

Use Rich Simple Syrup

The sugar cube is one Old Fashioned tradition that can definitely be skipped. While many recipes call for it, it offers no advantage over using a rich simple syrup and has several disadvantages. Most obviously, you have to find and buy sugar cubes and a muddler.

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.

In an old fashioned glass- 1 sugar cube, a few drops of water, 4 dashes of bitters, followed by ice, then four roses (I want to say 5 ounces?).

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 New Fashioned is a modern interpretation of the Old Fashioneds, in which the sugar cube has been replaced with syrup and which comes up with additional rosemary flavors. However, no regular syrup is used but fig syrup.

Purists might disagree, but it's okay to put a little fruit in your Old Fashioned. We're not advocating for turning it into a fruit co*cktail, but a little cherry garnish, as long as it's the right cherry, is perfectly fine. And the right cherry is the Luxardo cherry.

What is the best bourbon for making an Old Fashioned? If you're looking to make a delicious Old Fashioned co*cktail, some top choices for bourbon are the Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series, Jefferson's Tropics Aged in Humidity, and Larceny Straight Bourbon.

With that said, bourbon is often the go-to whiskey choice for an Old Fashioned. The relatively heavy body of the mostly corn-based spirit creates structure within the co*cktail, and its natural sweetness helps counterbalance the more astringent elements of bitters.

On average, bitters last around 5 years.

However, there's no need to refrigerate bitters. Even though there are organic compounds in bitters, the amount of alcohol acts as a natural sterilizer and preservation agent. So, feel free to leave it on your bar cart or in your liquor storage cabinets without having to worry.

you have three bitters for your home bar: Angostura with its deeper spice profile. the lighter sweeter and a little fruity Peychaud's. and a third special flavor like orange, cocoa or even lavender.

Can I use simple syrup or a sugar cube for an Old Fashioned? ›

There's nothing wrong with muddling a sugar cube with a small splash of water (not soda water)– which really is the old-school way of doing it. I just prefer making a simple syrup beforehand because it more easily incorporates into the rest of your drink.

Other than being delicious, one of the best things about an Old Fashioned is that it's made with just a few simple ingredients: 2 ounces rye whiskey, sugar, aromatic bitters, and garnished with an orange peel and/or fancy cherry.

A favorite among home bartenders and bar professionals alike, maple syrup is an easy way to twist a classic co*cktail, such as an Old Fashioned or a Margarita, into a completely different drink with its distinct flavor profile.

Some older co*cktails recipes you'll see will call for a couple teaspoons or so of raw sugar as the sweetener. But today the majority of bartenders use simple syrup as a basic sweetener because it is be easier to measure and will integrate into the co*cktail much more consistently.

Large 2x2-inch cube

Two-inch cubes are also too large to fit into a Collins or highball glass, which is why you'll most often see them in drinks that are served in rocks glasses, like Negronis and Old Fashioneds.

Combine the sugar and bitters in a rocks glass and grind them up with the muddler until they form a paste. You can add a teaspoon of water or seltzer to help the sugar dissolve along. This is more akin to crushing spices with a mortar and pestle rather than gently muddling herbs.

If you're looking for a simple syrup substitute, there are three favorites you probably have right in your home: honey, maple syrup and agave. For honey or agave, add warm water to them, to help turn the mix to syrup. You can also use a sweet, juicy fruit, like an orange.