Method
Build:
- Place the sugar cube in a heavy-bottomed rocks glass. Add the Angostura bitters directly onto the cube and a splash of water (or club soda). Muddle until the sugar dissolves into a wet paste.
- Add a large ice cube or two regular cubes.
- Pour in 2 oz of bourbon or rye whiskey.
- Stir gently for about 15 seconds to chill and lightly dilute. Do not shake.
Garnish:
- Cut a strip of orange peel about 2 inches long. Hold it over the glass, twist with the peel facing the drink to express the oils, then drop it in.
- Add a maraschino cherry if you want one. Some traditionalists hate this. They are wrong.
Nutrition
Notes
Bourbon makes a sweeter, vanilla-forward Old Fashioned. Rye gives a spicier, drier finish. Both are correct.
If your sugar refuses to dissolve, switch to 1/4 oz of simple syrup. Easier, faster, identical result.
Skip the orange wedge muddling. That is a 1980s aberration. The peel oils on top are the only orange you want.