The Perfect Old Fashioned - and Why Most Bars Get It Wrong

Tampa's most ordered cocktail, done properly. No muddled orange. No soda water. Just whiskey, sugar, and bitters.

The Old Fashioned is the oldest named cocktail still widely ordered. It's also one of the most consistently butchered — muddled orange slices, maraschino cherries, a splash of soda. These are additions that crept in over decades and have no place in the original.

What You Need

• 2 oz single barrel bourbon (our Maker's Mark Private Select is ideal)
• 1 sugar cube or 1 tsp simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 large ice cube
• Orange peel for garnish

Method

1. Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass and saturate with both bitters.
2. Add a small splash of water and muddle until sugar is mostly dissolved.
3. Add bourbon and stir briefly to combine.
4. Add a single large ice cube and stir for 20-30 seconds.
5. Express an orange peel over the glass, run it around the rim, and drop it in.

Why the Large Ice Cube Matters

A single large cube dilutes slowly and keeps the drink cold without watering it down. Multiple small cubes dilute too fast and turn your bourbon weak before you're halfway through the glass.

Liquor Depot Pick

Any of our single barrel store picks work beautifully here. Higher proof options — 110 proof and above — stand up to dilution better than standard expressions. Ask at the counter and we'll point you to what's current.