4 Steps for the Perfect Old Fashioned co*cktail - co*cktail Crate (2024)

FAQs

How is an Old Fashioned co*cktail made? ›

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.

2. If you have an orange, peel + put a few slices in the bottom of your glass. If not, add 2 oz. orange juice.

The old fashioned is a co*cktail made by muddling sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey (typically rye or bourbon), and garnishing with an orange slice or zest and a co*cktail cherry. It is traditionally served with ice in an old fashioned glass (also known as a rocks glass).

It's shorthand for an “old-fashioned style whiskey co*cktail”. In the 1800s a “co*cktail” meant any combination of spirit, sweetener, and bitters (think old-timey patent medicines), and what we now call an Old Fashioned is simply a modern recreation of the original co*cktail with modern ingredients.

1. Sugar: The Old Fashioned is traditionally made with either granulated white sugar or a sugar cube. Superfine bar sugar is fast-dissolving and eliminates the potential for a crunchy co*cktail, as does simple syrup. ⇒ If you're avoiding white sugar, try another sweetener.

She says the tradition of adding soda and fruit to an Old Fashioned goes back to Prohibition. Since the only alcohol anyone could get at the time was homemade, much of it didn't taste great, so people began adding extra ingredients to drinks to mask the taste.

Old Fashioned Ingredients

Sugar cube – If you don't have sugar cubes, you can use 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and muddle it with the bitters and water. You can also use 1 teaspoon of simple syrup in place of both the sugar cube/granulated sugar and water.

Coat and muddle.

Rotate the glass to coat the bottom and at least half of the sides. This will spread out the sugar and bitters and help the drink mix itself when you add ice and bourbon. Then drop in the fruit and muddle them. You don't want to muddle them too much, just enough to break apart the fibrous pith.

Fernet-Branca or other amaro

Another bitters substitute? Any type of Amaro, a family of Italian herbal liqueurs that taste bitter (amaro means bitter in Italian). It encompasses a wide range of spirits, including Campari and the super-bitter Fernet-Branca. Fernet is so strong, you only need to use a few drops.

Should an Old Fashioned have a cherry? ›

Just so we're perfectly clear: There is no orange slice in an Old Fashioned. There is no cherry in an Old Fashioned. You do not mash up fruit of any kind in an Old Fashioned.

Order your Old Fashioned in 1 sentence so that you can tell your bartender what you want quickly. Begin by saying what brand and type of whiskey you want, and end with any adjustments you are making to the drink. For example, “I'll have a Maker's Mark Old Fashioned, extra bitter.”

To summarize, Old-fashioned is the correct spelling. It refers to something outdated or a type of co*cktail. Old fashion is a misspelling of the adjective phrase old-fashioned.

For a drink made without ice or mixer, you'd order it "neat," and it would be served to you in an Old Fashioned co*cktail glass. So, you might say, "I'd like a bourbon, neat." To order a martini "up" or "straight up," means you'd like it chilled.

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.

Dating back to the 1800's, the Old Fashioned was a popular drink served at Gentlemen's Clubs and is often associated to an aristocratic and more mature drinker. Those who pick an Old Fashioned today are said to enjoy a more traditional way of life but still have an air of risk and challenge to their personality.

An Old Fashioned is a very popular whiskey (usually bourbon) co*cktail. It is a co*cktail that could be made from a spicy rye whiskey as well, but today bourbon is preferred. Keep in mind that the bourbon that you choose can drastically change the flavor profile your Old Fashioned has.

Peychaud used Sazerac De Forge et Fils brand of cognac, an Absinthe rinse, sugar, and his house-made bitters. Peychaud called his concoction the Sazerac co*cktail because of the spirit he used and the vessel he served it in. Therefore the Sazerac co*cktail created by Peychaud, is known as the oldest co*cktail in America.

Place simple syrup, bitters and the whiskey in an Old Fashioned glass, stir well then add 1 to 2 large ice cubes. Stir 2 to 3 times to chill then garnish with peel of orange and cherry.

Not Too Much Bitters

Made by concentrating the flavors of spices and bitter tree bark in alcohol, bitters are a classic co*cktail ingredient and necessary for a good Old Fashioned. A little goes a long way. Add 2-3 drops and your Old Fashioned will have much more depth and complexity.

How much is 3 dashes of bitters? ›

3 Dashes of Bitters

Technically speaking, this would be 0.09 oz or about 1/4 + 1/8 of a teaspoon. Non-technically speaking, this could be 3 simple tilts of the bottle or 3 quick thrusts of the bottle. Ultimately, it's important to taste and adjust as you go when creating a co*cktail recipe!

Wisconsin drinks more brandy than any other state, and most of our brandy consumption goes into the Wisconsin old fashioned – a muddle of sugar, bitters, orange and maraschino cherries topped with brandy and then sweet or sour soda and a bevy of garnishes.

Nationally, Old Fashioneds are typically made with rye or bourbon whiskey, but the true Wisconsin Old Fashioned is made with brandy -- Korbel by tradition.

Bourbon or rye whiskey

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.

“Bitters are to co*cktails as salt is to food,” Bitterman says. “They improve and align flavors just like salt does; they help to accentuate flavor and they bring their own flavors."

Using a paring knife, cut a coin of at least one inch wide and about two inches long into the orange peel. Cut into the fruit's pith just a bit. Rub the peel around the rim of the glass, and drop it into the drink.

If possible, use caster sugar instead of granulated sugar as it will dissolve easier. Sometimes a white sugar cube is used to make an Old Fashioned co*cktail. White sugar can also be flavoured with various ingredients: herbs, spices, berries, fruit or vegetables.

Bitters are most commonly used to give mixed drinks extra flavor. Think of them as one of your bar cart's secret co*cktail ingredients. A dash or two of these aromatics provides complexity to co*cktails like a scotch old fashioned.

You can also use a rolling pin. Just as you would use a pestle and mortar, push down on the muddler with a twisting action. Only attempt to muddle in the base of a shaker or a suitably sturdy glass. Never attempt to muddle hard, unripe fruits in a glass as the pressure required could break the glass.

Technique: The most balanced Old Fashioned is made by stirring the drink with ice for about 20 to 30 seconds and then straining that mix over fresh ice. Garnish: Orange twist, lemon twist, or both.

What are the four types of bitters? ›

In 1870, Siegert's three sons migrated to Trinidad and established the bitters as an essential ingredient in co*cktails and food. With four bitters variations: Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters, Cocoa Bitters, and Amaro Di Angostura, Angostura is a staple for bartenders and professional and home cooks.

The most popular types of bitters are Angostura bitters, Peychaud's bitters, and orange bitters. But you can find lots of other flavors! Fee Brothers has a line of bitters that includes flavors like Celery, Grapefruit, Chocolate, Peach, Lemon, Cherry, Rhubarb, Plum, and Mint.

Jarek Mountain, a co-owner and the beverage director of Boston's Yellow Door Taqueria, says, “When it comes to bitters, every mixologist should have two staples: Angostura and Peychaud's.” Julia Momose, partner and creative director at Chicago-based co*cktail bar Kumiko, agrees: “Classic aromatic bitters like Angostura ...

Fortunately, Luxardo Maraschino cherries last up to 3 years after opening. Don't refrigerate them, because it could cause the sugar to crystalize. Just keep them in a cool, dry place, like it says on the jar.

But Luxardo's cherries are packed with real fruit flavor—that fruit having all the nuance of notoriously seasonal tart cherries—and they have zero artificial coloring. The texture is more toothsome, more satisfying than those other cherries, too. Even if they're dropped into nothing more than a humble Shirley Temple.

Luxardo Maraschino Cherries – Do NOT use anything other than Luxardo cherries if you want your drink to be perfect. Cheaper maraschino cherries are not suitable for a proper old fashioned. An orange – Make sure the orange is washed as you'll be slicing it and muddling it in your drink.

An Old Fashioned is a wise order if you want to ease your way into the world of dark liquors — but don't expect these to taste the same at every bar. Old Fashioneds are a classic bourbon-heavy co*cktail typically made with Angostura bitters, a sugar cube, and an orange peel.

DO NOT shake an Old Fashioned, always stir it. This has nothing to do with temperature but everything to do with texture. Shaking it will add air and water, diluting the co*cktail too quickly. Since the drink is primarily spirit, all you have to do is gently stir with ice, allowing for a smooth, velvety texture.

While traditionally served with ice, a different take on the classic Old Fashioned calls for it to be served warm (via Real Simple). The warm version of the co*cktail is ideal for a cool night. Simply take a classic Old Fashioned and top it with some warm water.

Ideally, a home bar will have a good supply of the basics. Start with a whiskey, preferably a bourbon or a rye — then go with vodka or gin, white rum and tequila or mezcal. From there, pick three or four co*cktails you know you'll want to drink, and augment your bar with a few special bottles.

How do I organize my bar cart? ›

Keeping the cart organized is important

"Keep your liqueurs in the back, spirits in the front, and bitters and tools on the side or in the very front of your bar cart," Reznikov says. He says he keeps glasses away from the cart, "unless it's a large bar cart or solely a whiskey cart."

Basic Well System: Most service wells are set up in almost the same manner, Vodka followed by gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, whiskey, etc.

A co*cktail bar is made great by excellent customer service, great co*cktails for a great price, and a cozy atmosphere. Excellent customer service includes the standard for customer service, as well as bartenders who are knowledgeable about co*cktails.

The main difference between the two co*cktails lies in the sweeteners used in each. The Old Fashioned calls for sugar, either as a cube or in simple syrup format (where sugar is dissolved into water), whereas the Manhattan employs sweet vermouth, a type of fortified wine.

A “neat” drink is a pure spirit, poured into a glass with no other ingredients added, not even ice. Whiskey is a very common spirit to drink neat, but that's different from a shot.

When getting started with the Old Fashioned, you should always use Angostura bitters. Angostura bitters is the ubiquitous benchmark aromatic bitters and always the default choice when no brand is specified. Angostura bitters always works.

The Manhattan should technically be served in a martini-style glass, although some prefer not to drink it in this form. The Old Fashioned is served in a short, wide glass, often simply called an Old Fashioned glass.

Wearing a hat is now regarded as rather old-fashioned. It was a lovely little old-fashioned cafe. The bedroom was full of heavy old-fashioned furniture. Working methods in the department were ridiculously old-fashioned until we went over to computers.

“The simplicity of the drink and how much the spirit shines are two reasons the Old Fashioned has been able to sustain its popularity,” says Tommy Flynn, beverage director of Paper Daisy in New York.

What famous person drinks Old Fashioned? ›

Old Fashioned (George Lucas)

The classic co*cktail consisting of whiskey, simple syrup, angostura bitters and maraschino cherries is Star Wars creator George Lucas' favorite drink.

Straightforward and timeless, an Old Fashioned co*cktail never goes out of style. A simple combination of Maker's Mark^® Bourbon, bitters, sugar and a splash of water - just garnish your masterpiece with an orange slice and a cherry on top - and you've got the perfect drink.

Bitters are most commonly used to give mixed drinks extra flavor. Think of them as one of your bar cart's secret co*cktail ingredients. A dash or two of these aromatics provides complexity to co*cktails like a scotch old fashioned.