Arguably the most iconic cocktail in history, there’s nothing like a classic Old Fashioned.
Served as early as 1806, the Old-Fashioned was an evolution of the Whiskey Cocktail, and the ingredients were simple: whiskey, sugar, bitters and water. Since then, copious amounts of cocktails have been created, but the Old-Fashioned has transcended through time and earned its spot in the classics for a reason.
Today, no matter what bar you walk into, you can always order an Old-Fashioned. For many bartenders, its the most important to learn the basics of. However, the recipes below are anything but that. Check them out!
Fun fact: One of the first written instances of the name “Old-Fashioned” was included in Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide: How To Mix Drinks in 1862!
Photo by Old Line Spirits
Campfire Old Fashioned
by Old Line Spirits
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Cask Strength Old Line Whiskey
- 1/4 oz. Smoked Maple Syrup
- 2 dashes Chocolate Bitters
Preparation
- Combine Cask Strength Old Line Whiskey, smoked maple syrup and chocolate bitters in a mixing glass and stir with ice.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
Photo by Ryan Mahony / Hermitage Farm
House Old Fashioned
by Miranda Densford, Beverage Director, Barn8 Restaurant & Bourbon Bar
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Old Forester Signature 100
- 1/4 oz. Foraged Hickory Bark Syrup*
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 dash Barn8 Housemade Orange Bitters**
Preparation
- In a mixing glass, combine all the ingredients.
- Add ice to chill and stir until slightly diluted.
- Strain the mixture into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with an expressed orange peel.
Additional Notes
*At the restaurant, this is a rich syrup made in large batches.
*Foraged Hickory Bark Syrup
Ingredients
- 10 lbs Sugar in the Raw
- 5 lbs Water
- 1 quart Hickory Bark (broken into small pieces)
Preparation
- Combine sugar and water and heat over medium until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.
- Stir in hickory bark.
- Let infuse for 12-24 hours, then strain out bark.
**Housemade Orange Bitters
Ingredients
- 1 liter Vodka
- 1 pint Orange Peels
Preparation
- Combine vodka and orange peels and let infuse for two weeks in the refrigerator.
- Strain and sweeten with simple syrup to taste.
- Preferred substitute: Scrappy’s Orange Bitters.
Photo by Freight House
New Fashioned
by Freight House — Paducah, KY
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Rittenhouse Rye
- 1/4 oz. Pisa Nut Liqueur
- 8 dashes Woodford Reserve Chocolate Bitters
- 1 Orange Peel
Preparation
- In a rocks glass, express the orange peel and place pith side up.
- Cover the pith with the bitters and muddle well.
- Add small ice cubes, Rittenhouse Rye and Pisa liqueur.
- Stir 5-6 times.
- Garnish with a chocolate Pocky stick.
Photo by New Riff Distilling
Cracker Jack Old Fashioned
by Scott Augsburger, New Riff Distilling Aquifer Supervisor — Newport, KY
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Cracker Jack infused New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon*
- 1 bar spoon Rich Demerara**
- 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Preparation
- Add all ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice, and stir.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube.
- Garnish with a pinch of sea salt.
*Cracker Jack infused New Riff BIB Bourbon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Cracker Jacks
- 750 ml (1 bottle) New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon
Preparation
- Using a measuring cup, measure 1-1/2 cups of cracker jacks, then blend them in a blender until they have turned into a fine powder.
- Next, infuse the cracker jack powder in 750 ml (1 bottle) of New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally.
- After infusing, strain the cracker jack bourbon through a cheesecloth or a coffee filter for a clearer infusion, and bottle.
- The mixture lasts for months.
**Rich Demerara
Preparation
- Take a pot and add 2 parts demerara sugar and 1 part water.
- Heat on the stove over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Stir frequently to help dissolve the sugar fast.
- When the sugar is dissolved, let cool.
- Then, bottle for later use.
- Syrup lasts about 1 month.