How To Make A Perfect Old Fashioned Cocktail: A Beginner's Guide

By Rajlakshmi

April 28, 2026

Old Fashioned is one of the cornerstone cocktails in modern-day mixology that got its first mention as early as 1806. This concoction is made up of base spirit, aromatic bitters, sugar cubes and water.

Ingredients

2-ounce bourbon Two dashes of Angostura bitters Two dashes of black walnut bitters ½  ounce of simple syrup 1 orange peel Cherries, for garnish

Step 1

Pour the bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters into an iced mixing glass.

Step 2

Mix with a bar spoon. Pour over a clear ice cube in a lowball or rocks glass.

Step 3

Add a cherry as a garnish. Apply an orange peel to the rim and decorate with it.

Step 4

Historians claim that the drink was first developed at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 1880s.

Step 5

It is believed that the old-fashioned was drunk as a response to the withdrawal of the 25th mayor of New York and former Democratic candidate for the U.S.