Whiskey is my go-to. If I'm out at a good cocktail bar, I'll almost always order an Old Fashioned or something else whiskey-based. It's also one of the best drinks to learn to make at home, because there's almost nothing to it: whiskey, a little sweetness, a couple dashes of bitters, and a twist of orange. That's it.
That simplicity is the appeal, and also the catch. With these few ingredients, there's nowhere to hide. Each one actually matters. So it's worth getting them right, and it's the drink where making your own bitters pays off the most.
What you need
- 2 oz whiskey: bourbon or rye. Bourbon is a little softer and sweeter, rye is spicier and drier. Use what you like; I go back and forth.
- A little sweetness: about 1 teaspoon of simple syrup, or a sugar-free version if you're skipping sugar. A sugar cube works too.
- 2–3 dashes of aromatic bitters: this is the part I'd point you at making yourself. More on that below.
- An orange peel: a wide strip, for the twist. A cocktail cherry too, if you like one.
- One big ice cube, if you've got a mold for it. A large cube melts slower, so your drink dilutes gently instead of going watery fast.
Tools
Not much: a rocks glass, a bar spoon (or any long spoon), and a peeler or paring knife for the orange twist. No shaker, no special kit.
How to make it
- Add the simple syrup and bitters to a rocks glass.
- Pour in the whiskey.
- Drop in your ice, then stir for about 30 seconds. You want it cold and just slightly diluted, not watered down. Stirring (not shaking) keeps it clear and silky.
- Take your orange peel and twist it over the glass, skin-side down, so the oils spray across the top. Drop the peel in.
That's it. A glass and a spoon.
The bitters are the part worth making
Two or three dashes doesn't sound like much, but in a drink this bare, the bitters are what turn whiskey and sugar into an Old Fashioned. It's the seasoning that pulls the whole thing together. Store-bought aromatic bitters are great. But this is the drink where you can really taste the difference a fresh, homemade batch makes.
Want to make the bitters yourself? It's easier than it sounds:
Simple syrup, two ways
With sugar
Use equal parts sugar and hot water, about ½ cup of each. Stir until the sugar dissolves, let it cool, and keep it in a jar in the fridge. It lasts a few weeks. That's all simple syrup is: sugar you can pour.
Without sugar
If you're cutting sugar, make it with a 1:1 monk-fruit/erythritol blend (the granulated "measures like sugar" kind) instead of sugar, dissolved the same way in warm water.
One heads-up so it works: erythritol doesn't dissolve as well as sugar, so a full-strength batch can recrystallize and turn grainy once it's cold. Fixes: make it a little thinner, use it fresh while it's warm, or stir in a spoonful of allulose, which stays syrupy and won't crystallize.
Make it yours
Once you've made it a few times, it's easy to play. Swap bourbon for rye, or the other way. Try a different citrus twist. Change up the bitters: orange instead of aromatic, or a split of both. It's a simple, forgiving drink, which is half the fun of keeping the ingredients around.