03Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 60 ml bourbon or rye whiskey
• 1 sugar cube (or 5 ml simple syrup 1:1)
• 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel, expressed over the surface
• 1 large clear ice cube

Preparation Method

1. Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass; saturate with bitters and a bar-spoon of water.
2. Muddle briefly until dissolved — no lumps, no citrus, no cherries at this stage.
3. Add half the whiskey and stir; drop in a large ice cube.
4. Add the rest of the whiskey. Stir gently 20–30 seconds to chill and dilute (~15%).
5. Express an orange peel over the drink oil-side down, wipe the rim, drop it in.

Common Mistakes

• — Muddling fruit into the base — that's a fruit salad, not an Old Fashioned.
• — Small cubed ice — dilutes too fast; the drink is watery in three minutes.
• — Over-sugaring — the whiskey should lead; sugar is a supporting note.
• — Skipping the peel expression — the aroma is half the experience.
• — Using bottom-shelf whiskey — this drink is 90% spirit; quality shows.

Professional Service Notes

• — Serve within 90 seconds of the final stir — dilution is a moving target.
• — Never garnish with a maraschino cherry unless the guest asks; a proper Luxardo is acceptable.
• — Offer a small water on the side for guests new to whiskey.
• — Present on a coaster with the peel visible — the drink should look intentional.