‘Old’ is gold in this case

[1]

The simplicity and the sublime nature of the Old Fashioned makes it the First Drink among cocktails. This whisky based cocktail is considered the “baap” of all cocktails and if you want to make it perfectly, opt for a bourbon instead. People today make it with anything from brandy to rum but the original drink is made with bourbon and a dash of bitters.

Aromatic bitters don’t make a drink taste bitter. Rather, they bind the flavours of the drink and contribute botanicals that make the Old Fashioned a genuine aperitif cocktail. Sugar (and the scant water it is dissolved in) mellows the spirit of the drink. Not much is required, just a little, as the quality of today’s spirits is so much higher than it typically was when the Old Fashioned was born. A little splash of simple syrup generally suffices. And that is pretty much all you have to do to make this wonderful cocktail. The later versions include an orange rind and a cherry but keep the fruits out of it if you want to make a truly “macho” drink.