I have been drinking Old Fashioneds for a while now. I was introduced at a great local whiskey bar and since then have been experimenting with them at home. It is such a great drink; it's very simple, with few ingredients, but has a very complex, smooth flavor. It can be tailored to be a sweeter drink or feature the whiskey flavor.

I know there are already a few Old Fashioned recipes on Instructables, but this is a different variant of the recipe. Other recipes use granulated sugar, but I am not a fan of this since it's hard to dissolve/muddle in cold water and I have never found them to taste as good. Some recipes use soda or tonic, but this can make the drink much too sweet and Old Fashioneds aren't traditionally carbonated.

This recipe also includes flaming citrus oils, which besides the showmanship factor, really adds a nice smokey flavor to the drink. This is my favorite drink and I always feel like I should be sitting at my typewriter working on my memoirs when I enjoy it.

Step 1: Ingredients

The ingredients of this drink are:

2 oz whiskey or bourbon

1 oz simple syrup

0.5 oz water

2-3 dashes of bitters

1 piece of orange peel

2-3 cubes of ice

Tools needed are:

1 old fashioned glass

1 knife

1-2 matches

1 shot glass

Use whiskey for a stronger, alcoholic tasting drink. Bourbon can be substituted if a sweeter drink is desired. Generally low to mid range bottles are used.

An old fashioned glass is just a short glass. I prefer a square glass because it feels fancier to me, but I have yet to prove that this actually makes the drink taste better.

Step 2: Simple Syrup

The recipe for simple syrup is very easy, as the name implies.

Typically I make this in 1 cup batches, so add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water in a small sauce pan. I often add the juice from one orange, especially if I plan on making Old Fashioneds. Heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Once all the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.

Simple syrup can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for quite a while.

Step 3: Mix Ingredients

In a glass with 2 cubes of ice, add 2-3 dashes of bitters, depending on preference.

Pour in 2 oz of either whiskey or bourbon.

Pour in 1 oz of simple syrup.

Pour in 0.5 oz of water.

I find that the drink can be a overly sweet without the water. Less simple syrup could also be used, but I like the 2:1:0.5 ratio because it is much easier to remember.

Step 4: Citrus Flaming

As the name of this Instructables suggests, there will be fire involved. Although this step is completely optional, it definitely adds a bit of flare and pizzazz to the standard drink making process and provides a nice, smokey flavor.

First you need to light the match, grab the orange peel between two fingers, and depending on your preference, lightly scorch or blacken the outside of the orange peel. I recommend not over scorching the peel.

Now bring the peel over top of your glass and squeeze the oils out over the match. The peel can now be added to the drink. Be careful not to burn your fingers, as the oils spray and catch on fire. This light show adds an element of danger that will impress guests.

Step 5: Enjoy

Add a maraschino cherry, if you'd like for garnish, sip, and enjoy.

One last word of advice. As these are 2 oz drinks, a standard 26 oz bottle only holds 13 drinks. If you plan to have a few friends over and try out some Old Fashioned recipes, one bottle can go pretty quickly.