My original intention was to post this recipe on Friday morning. That makes sense, right? An old-fashioned is a classic Friday drink, simple enough to throw together after a long day at work, but complex enough to make one say “it’s Friday and I deserve this.”
Alas, work got in the way, and I wasn’t able to cobble together a post in time (which is sad for many reasons, chiefly because I’m sure you could have used an old-fashioned on Friday). And now, somehow, it’s Sunday afternoon, which is probably not peak old-fashioned time in your eyes, but I’m here to change your mind.
Truth is, I recipe-tested these old-fashioneds last Sunday (let’s not talk about the lag time between “recipe created” and “recipe posted” … I wish I had a better excuse than “OMG I’m just so busy”). They are kind of the perfect way to cap off your weekend and ward off the Sunday scaries. For one, they’re insanely easy to make — no fancy cocktail shaking skills required, just a simple blend of bourbon, sugar and bitters, which fascinate me endlessly because they’ve been around since the ancient Egyptians and hit all of my favorite periods of history (the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, etc.) Monks probably made bitters, which means I’m 100% sold.
Old-fashioneds are also pretty smooth and not overwhelmingly boozy, which means, even if you’re rigorously “testing” your cocktail recipe, you don’t wake up feeling groggy or blah the next day. They’re actually quite lovely, a slightly sweet partner for your Sunday evening, something to sip on while you meal prep like a boss, catch up on emails, or even say goodbye (tear, tear) to your new favorite show.
(Obviously, none of that is to say that it’s not perfect for Friday nights. You will never have a bad time drinking a classic old-fashioned. That’s just fact.)
A Classic Old-Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1 sugar cube
- 1/4 teaspoon angostura bitters (2 dashes or 20-ish drops)
- 2 ounces bourbon
- optional garnishes: orange peel, cocktail cherries
Instructions
- Place the sugar cube in an old-fashioned glass. Add the bitters and a quarter-teaspoon of water over the sugar. Add the bourbon and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add several ice cubes and stir quickly to chill the cocktail. Garnish if desired, then serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
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