Both are historically correct. Rye was dominant in 19th-century America; bourbon dominates today. Try rye first — it holds up better against the sugar.

How much dilution is right?

Roughly 20% water by final volume. A large single cube reaches that in about 90 seconds of gentle stirring in the glass.

Do I need a specific bitters?

Angostura is the historical default. A dash of orange bitters alongside is a common modern addition. Skip anything else.

Yes. Combine spirit, syrup, and bitters at the correct ratio, then add water equal to roughly 20% of the total. Store cold. Pour over a large cube; no further dilution needed.

Knowledge hub

Classic Cocktail Recipes

Name: Old Fashioned
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml (2 oz) Bourbon or rye whiskey; 5 ml (1 tsp) Demerara sugar syrup (2:1); 2 dashes Angostura bitters; Large ice cube

The canon of drinks that anchor the modern bar — with exact ratios in oz and ml, the technique that makes each one work, real history, and the mistakes that ruin them at home.

The Essential 12

The drinks every serious bartender knows cold

12 of 12

01
Old Fashioned
Spirit-forward, bitter, built — the drink that defines the word cocktail.
Built · Rocks
02
Martini
Cold, dry, aromatic — gin and vermouth stirred until the glass frosts.
Stirred · Nick
03
Manhattan
Rye and sweet vermouth, stirred cold — the template for every spirit-and-wine cocktail.
Stirred · Coupe
04
Daiquiri
Rum, lime, sugar — the cleanest sour on the canon, shaken hard and served cold.
Shaken · Coupe
05
Margarita
Tequila, lime, orange liqueur — a Sour built on agave rather than cane.
Shaken · Coupe
06
Negroni
Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — bitter, botanical, endlessly rearrangeable.
Built · Rocks
07
Whiskey Sour
The Sour template applied to American whiskey — bourbon, lemon, sugar, optional egg white.
Shaken · Rocks
08
Tom Collins
A Gin Sour lengthened with soda — the original tall drink.
Shaken · Collins
09
Mojito
Rum, lime, sugar, mint, soda — a Cuban Highball built for hot afternoons.
Built · Highball
10
Gimlet
Gin and lime cordial (or fresh lime and syrup) — a sailor's Sour, spare and cold.
Shaken · Coupe
11
Sazerac
Rye, sugar, Peychaud's bitters, absinthe rinse — New Orleans's oldest cocktail.
Stirred · Rocks
12
Espresso Martini
Vodka, coffee liqueur, fresh espresso — shaken cold enough to build a crema cap.
Shaken · Coupe

The Expanded Canon

Coming next

Ten more drinks scheduled for the second wave — the modern classics and pre-Prohibition revivals that round out a working canon.

Boulevardier
In progress
The bourbon Negroni; 1927, Paris.
Paper Plane
In progress
Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, lemon — Sam Ross, 2007.
Last Word
In progress
Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, lime.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
In progress
Gin, Cointreau, Lillet, lemon, absinthe rinse.
Penicillin
In progress
Blended Scotch, honey-ginger, lemon, Islay float.
Mai Tai
In progress
Aged rum, orgeat, orange curaçao, lime — Trader Vic, 1944.
Paloma
In progress
Tequila, lime, grapefruit soda, salt rim.
French 75
In progress
Gin, lemon, sugar, Champagne — Paris, WWI.
Aviation
In progress
Gin, lemon, maraschino, crème de violette.
Vieux Carré
In progress
Rye, Cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, bitters — New Orleans, 1938.