It’s hard to find a drink as effortlessly classy and timeless as an Old-Fashioned. The cocktail itself is supposed to have originated in the mid-to-late 1800s as a callback to simpler cocktail crafting, and that aura of bespoke sophistication and no-nonsense attitude still prevails in the drink. Making a great Old-Fashioned is an easy process, and follows a basic format of cocktail making: spirit, sugar, bitters, and usually a citrus garnish. But if you plan on making a few Old-Fashioneds in rapid succession, or if you’re simply a whiskey enthusiast, you might be wondering how much mileage a regular bottle gets you.
The standard bottle of bourbon or rye (either of which can be used to make an Old-Fashioned) clocks in at 750 milliliters, which converts to just a touch over 25 ounces. The standard serving of whiskey in an Old-Fashioned is 2 ounces, so the math actually breaks down pretty easily here. Simply put, you can make a dozen full Old-Fashioned cocktails with one standard bottle of whiskey, with an ounce and a bit left over if you wish to make a smaller-scale version of the drink (or make your 12th Old-Fashioned very, very booze-forward). Alternatively, you could also save it for other uses, as 1 and 1.5 ounce measures are also common cocktail ingredient measurements. By that 12th Old-Fashioned, you might be looking to switch it up anyway.
You can change it up with your whiskey
The Old-Fashioned has very few variables in it. Many would say that it’s best this way, including some experts who would argue that the biggest mistake you can make with an Old-Fashioned is simply overcomplicating it. But this is where your whiskey comes in. Indeed, one of the ways you can make your Old-Fashioned even better is by choosing a good whiskey — but beyond this, it might also be a good idea to have a selection of whiskeys on rotation for your cocktails.
Before you break out the torches and pitchforks, don’t worry — we’re not suggesting that you veer away from the typical bourbon or rye choice when crafting your drink. Rather, it’s worth noting that distinct bourbons/ryes from different distillers can net you different tasting notes, thereby changing up the character of your Old-Fashioned while keeping it simple, refined, and (most importantly) tasty. Rye tends to be “spicy” where bourbon tends to be sweet, this being the key difference in the two whiskeys. But bourbons, for example, have great variation from one distiller to another. Changes in the mash bill (the make-up of various grains in the spirit) alter the whiskey’s taste. So by having even a small selection of bourbons and ryes on-hand, you can not only keep the Old-Fashioneds flowing after the 12th pour, but you’ll also be able to appreciate the differences in your whiskeys — the best of both worlds!
