Smoke & Peel

Old Fashioned · Bourbon

The Standard

The Old Fashioned most people should learn first: bourbon, a little rich demerara syrup, two kinds of bitters and an orange peel, stirred cold over one large cube.

ABV
33%
Calories, est.
175
In the glass
2 ⅞ oz
Serve
Rocks, large cube
Make it your own Jump to the recipe

For adults 21 and over. Please drink responsibly.

How it tastes

Caramel and vanilla from the bourbon lead, with baking spice from the Angostura and a bright orange aroma on top. The demerara adds a faint molasses depth that plain white sugar does not.

Sweet-leaning, with dark oak on the finish. Firm at about 33% ABV once diluted. Sweetened with rich demerara syrup.

Sweet
Spice
Smoke
Fruit
Bitter
Oak

Why it works

Every ingredient has a job. The whiskey is the backbone, the syrup rounds off the burn, the bitters add the spice and bitterness that stop the drink tasting sweet, and the peel's oils lift the aroma. Because nothing is competing, you can taste exactly how a change to any one of them shifts the drink, which makes it the best recipe to learn on.

Tips

  • Use a bourbon at 90 to 100 proof. Lower proof tastes thin once the ice does its work.
  • Stir until the mixing glass is frosted and cold to the touch, then stop. Over-stirring waters the drink down.
  • Squeeze the peel over the glass with the skin facing the drink so the oils land on the surface.

The recipe

The Standard Old Fashioned

Makes 1 drink. Caramel, vanilla and baking spice from new charred oak. The classic backbone.

Ingredients

Ingredients for one The Standard Old Fashioned
2 oz60 mlBourbon90 proof
¼ oz7 mlRich demerara syrup2 parts demerara sugar to 1 part water
2 dashesAngostura bitters
1 dashOrange bitters
1 stripOrange peelAbout 2 inches, little pith
1Large ice cube

Bottles to try

$Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond · Wild Turkey 101 · Buffalo Trace
$$Knob Creek 9 Year · Woodford Reserve
$$$Russell's Reserve Single Barrel

$ under $40 · $$ $40–70 · $$$ $70+ · typical 750 ml price

Method

  1. Add the rich demerara syrup and bitters to a mixing glass.
  2. Pour in the whiskey. Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds, until the outside is cold to the touch.
  3. Add one large cube to the rocks glass and strain the drink over it.
  4. Express the orange peel over the drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.

Batch for 8

Making it for a crowd? Mix ahead, chill, and pour.

Ingredients

Ingredients for eight The Standard Old Fashioned drinks
16 oz475 ml · 2 cupsBourbon90 proof
2 oz60 mlRich demerara syrup2 parts demerara sugar to 1 part water
16 dashes≈ 2 ½ tspAngostura bitters
8 dashes≈ 1 ¼ tspOrange bitters
4 oz120 mlCold waterStands in for stirring dilution
8 stripsOrange peelAbout 2 inches, little pith
8Large ice cubes

Method

  1. In a pitcher or bottle, combine the whiskey, rich demerara syrup and bitters.
  2. Add 4 oz of cold water. This replaces the dilution you'd get from stirring.
  3. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or in the freezer for 1 hour.
  4. Pour 2 ⅞ oz per glass over one large cube.
  5. Express the orange peel over each drink, skin side down. Rub it around the rim and drop it in.

Make it your own

  • Swap the demerara for maple syrup for a woodier sweetness.
  • Add a Luxardo cherry if you like a dark, fruity finish.
  • Try the same build with rye for a drier, spicier drink.

Change anything, see it in the glass.

Open this recipe in the builder to swap the whiskey, sweetener, bitters, ice or smoke and watch the ABV and flavor profile move.

Open in the builder

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