Old Fashioned: a stirred pantry classic

The pantry version is 2 oz bourbon or rye, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp water, and 3 dashes Angostura bitters over ice, finished with an orange peel. The bitters are optional here; keep them if you have them for the classic spicy edge. 1

Stir the sugar, water, and bitters until nearly dissolved. Add the whiskey and ice, stir for 20–30 seconds, then strain over one large cube. Express the orange peel over the drink and drop it in. A sturdy lowball and an ordinary spoon are enough; no shaker required. 2 3

No sugar cube? Granulated sugar works. The large cube matters more than the exact glass, because it chills the drink without watering it down too quickly. 2