Old Fashioned — Old Fashioned is a three-ingredient argument about what

The Old Fashioned is a three-ingredient argument about what whiskey cocktails should taste like. Most bars get it wrong by overdoing the sugar and underdoing the stir.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• ¼ oz simple syrup
• 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 sugar cube
• Garnish: an orange peel

Method

Start with your mixing glass. Add the simple syrup and bitters first — they need to marry before the whiskey goes in. If you’re using a sugar cube instead of simple syrup, muddle it with the bitters and a splash of water until it dissolves completely. No big sugar chunks. Now add your whiskey and fill the glass with ice. Here’s the key technique — stir for a full thirty seconds. Count it out. The Old Fashioned stands or falls on proper stirring. You’re not just mixing ingredients, you’re controlling temperature and dilution. The drink should be ice cold and silky when you’re done. Under-stirred Old Fashioneds taste harsh and alcoholic. Over-stirred ones get watery. Thirty seconds hits the sweet spot.

Serve

Serve this in a rocks glass over one large ice cube. Express the orange peel by holding it skin-side down over the drink and giving it a firm pinch. You’ll see the oils spray out. Rub the peel around the rim and drop it in.

Pro Tip

The sugar versus simple syrup debate is real, but simple syrup wins for consistency. Sugar cubes dissolve unevenly and leave gritty bits that ruin the texture. Save yourself the hassle. Also, resist the urge to add club soda — that turns your Old Fashioned into a whiskey highball. The drink should be spirit-forward and strong.