House Old Fashioned Recipe

Bloom the sugar

Place the demerara sugar in an Old Fashioned (rocks) glass. Add the cold water and three dashes of Angostura bitters. Use a bar spoon to stir and press the sugar until it breaks down into a loose syrup and most crystals are dissolved (about 10–15 seconds).

Add whiskey and ice

Pour 2 oz rye whiskey into the glass. Add a large ice cube (or enough ice to nearly fill the glass).

Stir to chill and dilute

Using a bar spoon, stir the drink gently for about 20–30 seconds (15–20 full turns) until the glass is chilled, slightly viscous from the sugar, and the ice has produced light dilution.

Garnish

Express the oils from an orange peel over the surface by holding the peel skin-side down and giving it a sharp twist over the glass. Rub the peel around the rim, then drop it into the drink. Optionally add a maraschino cherry on top.

Serve immediately on the rocks with a short stirring spoon or a gentle sip straw. Warn the drinker that it's a spirit-forward cocktail.