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An overhead shot of an old fashioned with an orange peel and cheery in the glass. The glass is on a wood cutting board with a orange and cherries off to the side.

How to make a perfect Old Fashioned

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  • Author: Pate Giltner
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: cocktail
  • Method: stirred
  • Cuisine: american

Description

An Old Fashioned is our favorite classic cocktail, and this recipe tells you exactly how to make the perfect Old Fashioned and what bourbon, sugar, cherries, orange, bitters, and ice make the ideal version.


Ingredients

Scale

For the simple syrup:

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup water

For the cocktail:

  • 2 ounces Old Forester 1910 (or your favorite sweet bourbon)
  • 2 tsp light brown sugar simple syrup 
  • 1/2 tsp cherry syrup 
  • 2 dashes aromatic bitters bitters
  • orange peel 

1 cherry soaked in bourbon syrup


Instructions

  1. Make the simple syrup by combining the light brown sugar and water in a small pot and cooking until the sugar has melted. Set aside to cool. 
  2. Add ice to a mixing glass, and top with bourbon, bitters, cherry syrup, and simple syrup. Stir to combine.
  3. Strain into an old-fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Top with a cherry.
  4. Twist the peel of an orange over the glass to express its oil, brush it around the rim of the glass, then add it to the cocktail.
  5. Serve.

Notes

*Simple syrup makes between 8-10 cocktails. 

*Store syrup refrigerated in a container for up 1 month