This is my go-to Old Fashioned recipe. It’s a clean take, without muddled fruit or soda water, the way a proper Old Fashioned should be made. It’s spirit-forward, well balanced and endlessly tweakable. I wrote more about my journey with this cocktail in Learning to Love Whiskey.

A Very Brief History

The Old Fashioned traces its roots to the earliest definition of a cocktail itself: spirits, sugar, water and bitters. In the late 19th century, this simple formula was the norm, and ordering a drink “old fashioned” meant having it prepared the traditional way, before newer styles and ingredients took hold.

By the mid-20th century, particularly in American bars, the drink drifted from its origins. Muddled oranges, cherries and even soda water became common, transforming a spirit-forward cocktail into something heavier and sweeter. While widespread at the time, that approach bears little resemblance to how the drink was originally conceived.

Modern interpretations largely return the drink to its roots, emphasizing the whiskey, proper balance and restraint in both preparation and presentation.

Skip the Fruit Salad

I wish I could say it was only some of the early Old Fashioned cocktails I ordered while dining out that came with muddled fruit. Alas, unless I know the bar serves modern cocktails, there’s still a good chance I’ll get a clump of mashed oranges and cherries at the bottom of my glass. Worse yet, these cherries will be bright red and artificially sweetened, something no one wants in their cocktail. Do yourself a favor and don’t replicate this.

Such a medley of crushed fruit has no place in this cocktail. It adds a heavy, fruit-forward profile that became all too frequent in mid-20th-century interpretations, a sad period in the drink’s history.

Garnish it Right

A modern Old Fashioned relies on restraint. The garnish is intended to add aroma and subtle contrast, not sweetness or bulk. An expressed orange peel works well with bourbon, complementing the spirit’s vanilla and oak notes. When made with rye, a lemon peel provides a brighter, drier counterpoint which better matches the whiskey’s spice.

While purists might say a cherry has no place in an Old Fashioned, an Amarena or Luxardo cherry is hard to complain about, and I’ll admit I often choose one as a garnish. If you do opt for a cherry, use one of these high-quality brandied cherries, limit it to a single cherry and never muddle it. To preserve the drink’s balance, simply drop the cherry alongside your large ice cube. For a cleaner presentation, serve it on a cocktail skewer in the glass or on the rim.