The warmer months are great for light and fizzy, fruity and refreshing, but as we head into the colder ones I’m more apt to go for something with deeper flavor and less ice. Enter the Old Fashioned. Don’t be intimidated by its reputation. The Old Fashioned is one of the easiest classic cocktails to make, and a good one to keep in your arsenal. Get familiar with your ingredients: bourbon, bitters, sugar, water. You can create endless variations using different spirits and complementing ingredients. But first, let’s tackle the original.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sugar (mixed with a few drops warm water)
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 3 dashes orange bitters (Regan's brand is a favorite)
- 2 1/2 ounces bourbon
- 1 strip orange peel (for garnish)
- ice
Directions
This cocktail uses minimal ingredients, so it’s important to work with quality ones. For an early fall old fashioned, I prefer a younger bourbon like Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ Berkshire Bourbon Whiskey. It’s got subtle warmth with notes of vanilla and caramel.
- In a cocktail shaker, stir sugar and water with both bitters and 3 ice cubes.
- Add bourbon and continue stirring until chilled. Strain into a cold rocks glass over as much fresh ice as you like (2 rocks is our preference). Garnish with an orange peel.
