Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is one of the IBA Unforgettables: 4 ingredients, built in the glass and served in a rocks glass. That makes 62 ml in the glass: a small glass.
MethodBuilt in the glass
GlassRocks glass
In the glass62 ml
Strength34.0%
Ingredients
- 45 mlbourbon whiskey
- 5 mlsugar
- 2 mlAngostura Bitters
- 2 mlwater
Method
- Place sugar cube in old fashioned glass and saturate with bitter, add few dashes of plain water. Muddle until dissolved. Fill the glass with ice cubes and add whiskey.
- Stir gently.
Garnish: Garnish with orange slice or zest, and a cocktail cherry.
What it tastes like
- bitter → sweet
- It leans dry: 1.0 out of 10 of bitterness, 51st of 186.
- round → sour
- No citrus to wake it up: it arrives round, the 7th least sour of 186.
- light → strong
- In the finished glass, melted ice included, it runs 34.0%: 2nd of 186, stronger than 99% of the catalogue.
Its closest neighbour is the Rusty Nail: 98 out of 100 for similarity.
Five that come close
- Rusty NailWith scotch whisky in place of bourbon whiskey.
- Black Russian4 degrees lighter and built on vodka.
- GodfatherWith scotch whisky in place of bourbon whiskey and longer by 30 ml.
- Mint Julep7 degrees lighter and with mint in place of Angostura Bitters.
- SazeracMore bitter and built on brandy.
Every drink near the Old Fashioned on the map
Recipe source: IBA · checked on 30 October 2026