What ingredients are in a Old Fashioned?

4.5 cL Bourbon, 2 dashes Angostura Bitters, 1 cube Zucker, dash Wasser

What glass do you use for a Old Fashioned?

A Old Fashioned is traditionally served in a Old-Fashioned-Glas.

How strong is a Old Fashioned?

A Old Fashioned has an estimated ABV of 18,57%.

How many calories are in a Old Fashioned?

A Old Fashioned contains approximately 233 calories per serving.

What are the ingredients in a classic Old Fashioned?

A classic Old Fashioned is made with whiskey — traditionally bourbon or rye — a sugar cube or simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and a large orange peel, served over a large single ice cube or block. The sugar is muddled with bitters and a splash of water or soda in the glass before the whiskey is added, integrating the sweetness without diluting the spirit. An expressed orange peel, whose oils are released over the glass and rubbed along the rim, serves as the canonical garnish.

Why is the Old Fashioned considered the oldest cocktail recipe?

The Old Fashioned holds a unique place in cocktail history as it closely mirrors the original definition of a 'cocktail' first printed in 1806: spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. As more complex cocktails became fashionable in the late 19th century, drinkers began requesting whiskey prepared 'in the old-fashioned way,' giving the drink its enduring name. It represents a philosophically pure form of mixed drink, emphasizing quality spirit over elaborate additions.

What whiskey works best in an Old Fashioned, and what is the ABV?

Bourbon is the most popular choice for an Old Fashioned, with its caramel, vanilla, and oak notes harmonizing beautifully with the sugar and bitters; high-rye bourbon or rye whiskey delivers a spicier, more assertive profile. The finished Old Fashioned typically has an ABV of around 30–35%, as the modest sugar, bitters, and ice dilution reduce the whiskey's proof only slightly. This high alcohol content makes it an important sipping cocktail to enjoy slowly and thoughtfully.

Among the oldest entries in the cocktail canon, the Old Fashioned is made by muddling a sugar cube saturated with Angostura Bitters and a dash of water, then filling the glass with ice and pouring bourbon over the top. An IBA Unforgettable, it is widely treated as the archetype of the form, a base spirit enhanced rather than masked by its modifiers, finished with an orange twist and a cocktail cherry. At roughly 19 percent ABV it is decidedly spirit-forward, and its very name, sometimes rendered as the Whiskey Cocktail, signals its standing as the original template against which later drinks are measured.

Old Fashioned

Whiskey Cocktail

Glas Old-Fashioned-Glas

Schwierigkeitsgrad Medium

Kalorien ~233 kcal

ABV 18,57%

Zutaten

Bourbon 4.5 cL
Angostura Bitters 2 dashes
Zucker 1 cube
Wasser dash

Anweisungen

Place sugar cube in old fashioned glass and saturate with bitters, add a dash of plain water. Muddle until dissolved. Fill the glass with ice cubes and add whiskey. Garnish with orange twist, and a cocktail cherry.

IBA Classic Alcoholic Expensive Savory

Der Old Fashioned zählt zu den ältesten und am meisten verehrten Cocktails im Kanon: Ein mit Angostura Bitters getränkter Zuckerwürfel wird gemuddelt, ein Spritzer Wasser hinzugefügt, dann das Glas mit Eis gefüllt und Bourbon obendrauf gegossen. Als IBA Unforgettable gilt er weithin als Urform des Cocktails — eine Basisspirituose, die durch Modifikatoren betont statt maskiert wird. Die Orangenzeste als Garnitur steuert eine abschließende aromatische Dimension bei.

History & Origins

The Old Fashioned has roots in the late 18th century when "cocktail" first appeared in print (1806) as a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters — essentially the recipe still used today. The term "Old Fashioned" emerged in the 1880s as drinkers requested cocktails be made in the traditional fashion, distinguishing them from newer, more complex recipes. It was codified in numerous bartending manuals through the 19th and 20th centuries and remains the world's most ordered classic cocktail.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Warm bourbon vanilla and caramel with aromatic bitters and a bright citrus note from the expressed orange peel. Palate: Full-bodied and spirit-forward with bourbon's characteristic sweet corn, caramel, and oak playing against the subtle sweetness of the dissolved sugar and the complex spice of the Angostura Bitters. Finish: Long, warm, and complex with fading spice, oak, and a persistent sweetness.

bourbon caramel spiced bitter complex

Pro Tip

Use a single large ice cube or a hand-cut chunk of clear ice to minimise dilution and maximise the visual impact of this spirit-forward cocktail as it slowly chills.

Verwendete Techniken

Muddeln Rühren Zestenausdrücken

Variationen

Rum Old-fashioned

Compare Old Fashioned

vs.

Martini

vs.

Negroni

vs.

Manhattan

Data verified November 2016

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