OLD FASHIONED [IBA]

You cannot get more classic than a classic Old Fashioned. This humble concoction of four ingredients—whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water—is quite literally the cocktail that started it all.

It was that particular (and rather unremarkable) recipe that appeared alongside the first-ever printed use of the word “cocktail” way back in 1806.

And 80 years later, the name “Old Fashioned” started getting tossed around in bars to describe said cocktail recipe. Yes, even the old-timers of the 1880s considered it to be an old-school drink. Since those sepia-toned days, the Old Fashioned has enjoyed illustrious comebacks as new generations of boozers have fallen for its simple charm. Our guess is human beings will be drinking Old Fashioneds until end times, because the damned drink will never not be cool.

All of which is to say, the Old Fashioned is a cocktail that’s been around for a while, and for good reason. The sweetness makes it smoother than a lot of other whiskey-based drinks, though it remains a strong-jawed, spirit-forward option. Fortunately, with few ingredients, it’s also an easy cocktail to master.

I prefer mine with rye over bourbon for a more brutal whiskey taste.

Recipe for ‘Old Fashioned’

• 6cl of Bourbon Whiskey
• 2 dashes of Angustora Bitters
• 1 cube of sugar
• Few dashes of plain water
• Garnish: Orange Twist & Cherry

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. Stir until more delution, refill with ice. Garnish with orange twist, and a cherry.