Old Fashioned Recipe in Milliliters (ml)

An Old Fashioned is a whiskey cocktail made with bitters, a little sugar, and a twist of citrus, served over ice. This single-drink recipe gives the measurements in milliliters and ounces, with simple steps for balancing sweetness and dilution. It is an alcoholic drink for adults of legal drinking age; drink responsibly.

Ingredients

2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye whiskey
1 tsp (5 ml) rich simple syrup, preferably 2:1 sugar to water, or 1 sugar cube (about 4 g) plus 1 tsp (5 ml) water
2 dashes aromatic bitters (about 1 ml total; dash size varies by bottle)
1 large ice cube, about 2 inches (5 cm) across, or enough smaller ice to fill the glass
1 strip orange peel, about 2 inches (5 cm) long, for garnish

Instructions

Choose a glass. Set out a short rocks glass and add the sugar cube, if using. Add the bitters and water. Press and stir the cube with a muddler or the back of a spoon until it breaks down into a damp, mostly smooth paste. This takes about 30 to 45 seconds. If using simple syrup, put the syrup and bitters directly in the glass instead; there is no need to muddle.
Add the whiskey. Measure 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye into the glass. Stir briefly to combine it with the sweetener and bitters. Measuring matters: an extra pour can make the drink feel hot and unbalanced, while too little whiskey lets the sugar and bitters dominate.
Add ice and stir. Put one large cube in the glass, or fill it about three-quarters full with smaller cubes. Stir steadily for about 20 to 30 seconds, keeping the spoon close to the inside of the glass. The drink should become cold and slightly diluted, not watery. With a large cube, it will continue to dilute slowly as you sip.
Express the orange peel. Hold the peel over the glass with the colored side facing down. Bend it gently to release its fragrant oils across the surface, then rub the colored side around the rim. Drop it into the drink or rest it on the edge. Avoid shaving off a thick layer of white pith, which can taste bitter.
Taste and serve. Take a small sip before serving. If it tastes too strong, stir for another 5 to 10 seconds; if it is too sweet, add a little more whiskey and stir again. Serve immediately while cold, with a cocktail napkin and a spoon or pick if desired.

Tips

Pick a whiskey you enjoy neat. Bourbon tends to bring vanilla, caramel, and a rounder sweetness; rye is often drier and spicier. Neither is mandatory, and the bitters and sugar should support the whiskey rather than hide it. A mid-priced bottle with a flavor you like is a sensible choice.
Use syrup for easy mixing. Rich 2:1 simple syrup dissolves quickly, which is useful in a cold drink. Regular 1:1 simple syrup works too, but start with 1½ tsp (7.5 ml) because it is less concentrated. If using a sugar cube, take time to crush it with the bitters and water; undissolved crystals can collect at the bottom.
Adjust dilution deliberately. Stirring chills the drink while melting some ice into it, softening the whiskey and joining the flavors. A large, solid cube melts more slowly than a handful of small or wet cubes. If your ice has been sitting out and looks glossy, use fresh ice so the cocktail does not become diluted before you finish mixing.
Keep the garnish simple. An orange peel adds aroma without making the drink taste like orange juice. Cut it with a vegetable peeler, then trim away excess pith if needed. A lemon peel can substitute for a sharper citrus scent; a thick wedge squeezed into the glass adds juice and makes the drink more citrus-forward than the classic style.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the cocktail in a rocks glass over a large cube, ideally just after stirring. The large cube is not essential, but it keeps the drink cold while melting more slowly than several small pieces of ice. If you only have standard freezer cubes, fill the glass generously and stir for a little less time, then taste before adding more dilution. A chilled glass is optional; it can keep the first sips cool, but it is not a substitute for ice in the drink.

The Old Fashioned is a strong, spirit-forward cocktail, so it pairs well with small bites that are not overly sweet. Try salted or roasted nuts, sharp aged cheese, olives, or savory snacks. For a meal, it can sit alongside grilled or roasted foods, but keep portions modest: the drink’s bittersweet flavor is most noticeable when it is not competing with a very sugary dessert or a heavily spiced sauce. Offer water as well, and make a nonalcoholic option available to guests who prefer one.

Variations

Rye Old Fashioned: Use rye instead of bourbon for a drier, peppery edge. Keep the same 2 oz (60 ml) measure, and start with the same amount of syrup; add a small extra splash only if the rye tastes especially sharp to you.
Sugar-cube version: Use one sugar cube, 2 dashes bitters, and 1 tsp (5 ml) water as described in the instructions. This traditional-feeling method gives you direct control over how thoroughly the sugar dissolves. Some crystals may remain, which is a texture preference rather than a sign that the drink has failed.
Maple version: Replace the syrup with 1 tsp (5 ml) pure maple syrup. Maple brings a distinct woody sweetness that pairs naturally with whiskey, so begin with less rather than pouring freely. Stir until it is fully blended before adding the ice.
Different bitters or citrus: Chocolate, orange, or other aromatic bitters can replace some or all of the standard bitters, but their flavors vary in strength. Try one dash of the alternative alongside one dash of aromatic bitters first. A lemon peel instead of orange gives a brighter aroma; it does not require changing the whiskey or sweetener.
Batch for a small gathering: For 4 drinks, combine 8 oz (240 ml) whiskey, 4 tsp (20 ml) rich simple syrup, and 8 dashes bitters in a sealed bottle or pitcher. Refrigerate it, then pour 2 oz (60 ml) per glass over fresh ice and garnish each serving. This batch is undiluted, so do not add water in advance unless you measure it; stirring each serving with ice supplies the dilution.

Old Fashioned recipes vary by household and bar, especially in the sweetener, bitters, garnish, and whether fruit or a cherry is added. The recipe here keeps the ingredients restrained so the whiskey remains the focus. A cherry is an optional garnish, not a required ingredient; if you use one, choose a cocktail cherry and add it after stirring rather than muddling it with the sugar.

Storage and Reheating

An Old Fashioned is best mixed and served fresh. Once it is in a glass with ice, it will continue to dilute, so there is little benefit to saving it for later. If you need to hold a prepared drink, remove the ice and orange peel, cover it, and refrigerate it within 2 hours; use it within 24 hours for the best flavor. Pour it over fresh ice and add a new peel when serving. There is no reheating step for a cocktail.

For make-ahead service, store the whiskey, syrup, and bitters together in a clean, sealed container in the refrigerator, without ice or garnish. Use the mixture within 3 days for the freshest flavor, and stir or shake the closed container gently before pouring because the ingredients may not stay evenly mixed. Measure individual servings over fresh ice, then garnish. Do not leave a prepared batch sitting at room temperature for an extended period, and do not put used ice back into the batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best whiskey for an Old Fashioned?

Both bourbon and rye work well. Bourbon usually makes a rounder, sweeter-tasting drink, while rye often gives it a drier, peppery character. Choose a whiskey whose flavor you like on its own; an expensive bottle is not necessary, but a very rough or heavily flavored whiskey may overpower the small amount of sugar and bitters.

Can I make an Old Fashioned without simple syrup?

Yes. Use one sugar cube, 2 dashes bitters, and 1 tsp (5 ml) water, then muddle until the cube breaks down before adding whiskey. Granulated sugar can also work, but it takes longer to dissolve and may leave a little grit. Avoid adding dry sugar directly to a cold, ice-filled glass, where it is less likely to blend evenly.

Should an Old Fashioned be shaken or stirred?

Stir it. Stirring chills the drink and adds controlled dilution without making it cloudy or foamy. Shaking is useful for cocktails that contain ingredients such as citrus juice, but this recipe is built from whiskey, sweetener, and bitters, so shaking is unnecessary. Stir with ice, strain only if you want to serve it over fresh ice, and add the garnish last.

How many milliliters are in an Old Fashioned?

This recipe uses 60 ml of whiskey and 5 ml of rich simple syrup, plus about 1 ml of bitters. The finished drink’s total volume is larger because melted ice adds water during stirring, and the amount varies with the ice and how long you stir. Use a jigger marked in milliliters for a consistent pour.

Can I make this drink less sweet?

Yes. Start with ½ tsp (2.5 ml) rich simple syrup instead of 1 tsp, then taste after stirring. You can also use rye, which often makes the drink seem drier. Bitters are aromatic and slightly bitter, but adding many extra dashes is not a reliable substitute for reducing sugar because it changes the balance in a different way.

Why does my Old Fashioned taste too strong or too bitter?

A drink that tastes hot may need a little more stirring, which adds cold water from the ice; stir for another 5 to 10 seconds and taste again. If it tastes bitter, check that you have measured the bitters and removed most of the white pith from the peel. If it is still too dry, add syrup a small amount at a time rather than making a large adjustment all at once.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).