Best Bitters for an Old Fashioned

Best Bitters for an Old Fashioned

An Old Fashioned is simple by design, which means each ingredient has room to make a difference. The bitters you choose can bring out warm spice, brighten the drink with citrus, add rich fruit notes, or take the cocktail in a completely different direction.

Below, we’re sharing our favorite bitters for an Old Fashioned, along with a few ideas for choosing the right flavor for the drink you want to make.

 

Best Bitters for an Old Fashioned: Quick Picks

These are some of our favorite bitters for an Old Fashioned, from classic and citrus-forward to fruitier, more unexpected directions.

BITTERS FLAVOR PROFILE
 TRY WITH WHY IT WORKS
BARREL AGED AROMATIC  Complex dark fruit & spice Bourbon, Rye, or Scotch Adds depth with an aromatic backbone
ORANGE Bright & aromatic Bourbon Lifts the whiskey and echoes the garnish
CHERRY SARSAPARILLA Distinctive & fruity Rye Adds richness and a nostalgic spiced note
CHAMOMILE VANILLA Soft, floral, & aromatic Bourbon or Brandy Adds softness and a pleasant aromatic quality
DIGESTIVE Herbal & bright Rye Brings brightness and sharpens spice notes

 

How Bitters Change an Old Fashioned?

One of the main jobs of bitters in a cocktail is to balance the sweetness while adding complexity. Because the Old Fashioned is so simple, even a small change in the bitters can shift the whole drink.

Bitters contribute more than bitterness. Their aroma, spice, fruit, citrus, and botanical notes can bring different parts of the whiskey forward and change the way the drink feels from the first sip to the finish.

Citrus-forward bitters can brighten the cocktail and emphasize fresh, lifted notes. Fruit-forward bitters can add richness and depth. Spice and botanical-forward bitters can make an Old Fashioned feel warmer, more complex, or bring out notes from barrel aging.

That is part of what makes this cocktail such a good place to experiment. The structure stays familiar, but the bitters give you an easy way to change its direction without changing the entire drink.

Loose herbs are artfully displayed on a white ceramic plate with wooden scoops and an olive wood tray. It includes green cardamom pods, fresh ginger, coriander seeds, dandelion root, and gentian root.

 

Our Favorite Bitters for an Old Fashioned

These are the FreeWildShe bitters we reach for most often in an Old Fashioned. Each takes the same classic cocktail in a different direction, from deep and traditional to bright, fruity, or more unexpected.

Barrel Aged Aromatic Bitters

If you want to stay close to the classic character of an Old Fashioned, start here. Barrel Aged Aromatic Bitters bring dark fruit, warm spice, and the added depth of barrel aging, making them especially well suited to bourbon, rye, or scotch. They add complexity without pulling the drink too far from what makes an Old Fashioned feel familiar.

Orange Bitters

Orange Bitters are a natural choice if you want a brighter Old Fashioned. Their citrus-forward character lifts the whiskey and works beautifully with an expressed orange peel garnish. With bourbon especially, they bring a fresh aromatic quality that keeps the drink lively while still letting the whiskey remain at the center.

Cherry Sarsaparilla Bitters

Cherry Sarsparilla Bitters take an Old Fashioned in a richer, more distinctive direction. The fruit and warm spice notes work especially well with rye, adding depth while giving the cocktail a subtle nostalgic quality. It’s one of our favorite ways to make the classic feel a little more unexpected without changing its basic structure.

 

How to Choose Bitters for Your Old Fashioned

There isn’t one right bitters for an Old Fashioned. Start by thinking about the direction you want the drink to take.

Different bitters can make the same cocktail feel warm and classic, bright and citrusy, or rich and distinctive. Fruity, floral, herbal, and spicy bitters can all change the character of the drink in different ways.

Choose the profile you want for your Old Fashioned:

This is also where an Old Fashioned gets especially fun. Seasonal bitters can shift the drink with the time of year, while unexpected flavors can bring out different qualities in the whiskey. How about a Maple Blood Orange Old Fashioned in the fall or a Saffron Old Fashioned in the spring? You can change the bitters without changing anything else, or use them alongside a different sweetener or garnish to build on the same flavor idea.

You don’t have to choose just one. Combining bitters is an easy way to add another layer of flavor. Try aromatic bitters with orange bitters for added brightness, or pair a familiar bitters with a more unusual flavor and adjust the proportions until the drink tastes right to you.

Looking over the top of an Old Fashioned cocktail with a large spear of ice and orange peel garnish. It sits on a wooden tray.

 

The Old Fashioned as a Cocktail Template

One of the reasons the Old Fashioned has endured is its simplicity. It is often described as the original cocktail: spirit, sugar, bitters, and water. That simple structure is part of what makes it so endlessly adaptable.

Once you understand the basic structure, you can change one element or several. Swap the spirit, change the sweetener, choose a different bitters, or adjust the garnish. The drink can move in a completely different direction while still keeping the familiar balance of an Old Fashioned.

A few ideas to try:

 

How Much Bitters Should You Use?

For an Old Fashioned, start with a small amount and adjust from there. A few dashes are usually enough to balance the sweetness and add aroma and complexity without overwhelming the sprit. Taste as you go, especially when you are working with more assertive and unusual bitters.

 

Ready to Make Your Best Old Fashioned

 

Explore More About Bitters

Read our Guide: What are Bitters?

Back to blog

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best bitters for an Old Fashioned?

The best bitters for an Old Fashioned depend on the flavor direction you want. Aromatic bitters are a classic choice for depth and spice, orange bitters make the drink brighter, and fruit, floral, or herbal bitters can create a more distinctive variation.

Can I use orange bitters in an Old Fashioned?

Yes. Orange bitters are a great choice for an Old Fashioned, especially if you want a brighter, more citrus-forward drink. They can lift whiskey and add aromatic complexity.

Can I use orange bitters and aromatic bitters together?

Yes. Orange bitters and aromatic bitters work well together, especially in an Old Fashioned. Aromatic bitters add depth and spice, while orange bitters bring brightness. Using both is an easy way to add another layer of flavor while still keeping the drink balanced.

How much bitters do I use?

Start with 10 drops (about a dash) of FreeWildShe Bitters. Taste your drink, then add more if you'd like a stronger flavor. There isn't a right or wrong amount. Use a little for subtle flavor or a few extra dashes for a bold botanical profile.

When following a recipe, use the amount listed as a starting point and adjust from there.

Are aromatic bitters the same as Angostura?

Not exactly. Angostura is a specific brand of aromatic bitters, while aromatic bitters are a broader style of bitters made with herbs, roots, spices, bark, fruit, and other botanicals. Angostura is probably the best-known example, but it is not the only aromatic bitters you can use.