How To Make The Best Old Fashioned Cocktail In Three Easy Steps

Think of the Old Fashioned as the Illmatic of bourbon cocktails; it's been around forever, you've heard it a million times, but it always sounds brand new and never fails to satisfy. The first known Old Fashioned recipe is from 1806 and its seen a couple different iterations over the years (sugar cubes vs. simple syrup, water or seltzer or nothing, muddled fruit or just an orange peel). This is how we like to craft our Old Fashioned:

Old Fashioned Ingredients

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 1 teaspoon Agave Syrup
• Toasted Almond Bitters
• Ice
• Orange Peel

How To Make An Old Fashioned

1. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add bourbon, agave syrup and three dashes of bitters. Then stir until chilled.
2. Place a large ice cube in a lowball glass and strain the contents of your mixing glass into it.
3. Run orange peel along the rim of the glass and gently lay it on top.

For a bolder cocktail, use a higher proof bourbon. If you're not a fan of orange, you an use a lemon peel instead. Both of these options will put your Old Fashioned over the top.

Old Fashioned Riff

Substitute rye for bourbon for added spice or maple syrup for agave for a more complex sugar rush. Have you ever tried a Oaxaca Old Fashioned? This agave Old Fashioned is made by swapping in mezcal or tequila for bourbon. It's a great option if you don't have good whiskey on hand.