The Old Fashioned is one of THE classic cocktails, and my absolute go-to drink. It’s a cocktail that every gentleman should know how to make.
Not only is the Old Fashioned and elegant cocktail, but it’s extremely simple to make. At its core, the Old Fashioned recipe is just (1) rye or bourbon, (2) bitters, and (3) a little bit of sweetness.
I’ve written before about my love for the Old Fashioned and my sentimental attachment to it. Now, here’s a quick video tutorial that shows you how easy it is to make. In the video, I show the ingredients you need (including how to make simple syrup–it’s pretty…uh, simple), how to make the drink, and how I like to garnish my Old Fashioned.
Enjoy!
If you try to make it yourself, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out!
Extra credit: As I mention in the video, there are various ingredients people use for the sweetening agent. I don’t feel the need to put muddled fruit in my Old Fashioned as a garnish. But on occasion, it’s been a useful sweetener when I was too lazy to make simple syrup. Once of the most interesting impromptu Old Fashioneds I’ve made was using muddled watermelon. Might sound girly, but it was damn tasty: it added just the right amount of sweetness, and it gave it a whole new dimension that I hadn’t tasted before. I’ve also tried using strawberries, jam, and a ton of other things…Let me know if you explore any “alternative” sweetners—share you experience in the comments below. Cheers!
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Thiago says
If feeling really lazy to make simple syrup, and out of it, since I usually have a bottle around, I just go for Maple Syrup! Tasty!
Kyle says
Great thinking, Thiago! Maple Syrup does make a nice sweetener for cocktails—and you’re right: you can’t beat the convenience…
Jose says
I prefer to skip the soda water and just add a few splashes of H2O on a sugar cube. I like using the sugar cube because I think it adds to the “show” of making the cocktail. Like you, I skip the fruit but I do twist the lemon over the cocktail and then rub it along the rim. The first thing I always do before I take a sip, smell the cocktail. The most perfect cocktail.
Kyle Ingham says
Love it! Definitely agree: the most perfect cocktail. Thanks Jose!