The Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned rewards a softer bourbon

An Old Fashioned is mostly bourbon. The sugar and the dash of bitters are there to frame the whiskey, not to hide it, so the spirit can't fight the glass. A sharp, rye-forward bourbon can turn hot against the sugar; a softer, rounder bourbon holds the whole drink together.

Why a wheated bourbon is built for it

Maker's Mark is a wheated bourbon: it uses red winter wheat as its flavoring grain instead of rye. That is the whole reason it drinks soft and caramel-forward — a bourbon "without the burn," the idea Bill Samuels, Sr. set out to make when he started the recipe from scratch. In an Old Fashioned, that softness means the bourbon stays present and rounded instead of going harsh against the sugar and bitters. It complements the build rather than fighting it.

The Maker's Mark Old Fashioned

• 2 parts Maker's Mark
• 1 sugar cube (or 1 tsp simple syrup)
• 2–3 dashes aromatic bitters
• An orange peel

Muddle the sugar with the bitters and a small splash of water, add Maker's Mark and ice, and stir until well chilled. Express an orange peel over the top and drop it in. Every bottle is hand-dipped in red wax, one at a time — the same patience belongs in the glass.

More ways to pour it

Maker's Mark keeps a full library of cocktail recipes on the official site, filterable by style (Light & Bright, Rich & Bright, Rich & Dark) and taste — from the Maker's Sour to richer, darker serves. The Old Fashioned is the place to start.

Crafted at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky. Hand-dipped. One at a time. Every time.