About the Old Fashioned cocktail
The Old Fashioned is one of the most important classic cocktails, made with whiskey, sugar, bitters, and a little water or dilution. It is rich, strong, slightly sweet, and aromatic, with the bitters and orange garnish adding spice, citrus, and depth without hiding the character of the whiskey.
The name comes from drinkers in the 1800s asking for a cocktail made the “old fashioned” way, before cocktails became more elaborate. In its simplest form, the Old Fashioned is almost the definition of a cocktail: spirit, sugar, bitters, and water. The sugar rounds off the edges, the bitters add complexity, and the dilution ties everything together into a simple but complete drink.
