Easy Old Fashioned Recipe You Can Make Without A Full Bar

A few years ago I tried an old fashioned at the bar for the first time.  It was an upscale place, and I felt funny ordering my normal diet coke and whiskey combo.  I fell in love with the old fashioned right off the bat.  And it's not because I watch mad men either, although that has begun a bit of a comeback in the classic cocktail.

Here's the problem... A lot of bartenders don't know how to make an old fashioned.   So here's a way to make them yourself with just a few ingredients.

What you'll need:

Angostura bitters (they are the best)  $7-8 for a bottle that will last you forever

Orange Slice

Macchiato cherry

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

2 ounces whiskey

splash of water (or in my case 7 up)

Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to small cocktail glass (old fashioned if you have it).  Add 3 dashes of bitters.  Next add orange and cherry slice to glass.  Muddle (crush it up) to open up the juices.  You can use a spoon for this if you don't have the bar tool.  The juices should be enough to spread the bitters and sugar around.   Next add ice, add 2 ounces of whiskey (american rye is preferred).  And then a splash of water.  In my case, I like it a little sweeter so I use 7 up.

Bingo, an easy old fashioned!