Learn how to make the best homemade Brown Sugar Old Fashioned!
Our quick & easy Old Fashioned recipe substitutes a white sugar cube for molasses flavoured brown sugar. It’s a popular whiskey cocktail to serve at Christmas and New Years parties but can be enjoyed all year round!
This simple festive cocktail recipe features premium whiskey, brown sugar, Angostura bitters, cinnamon stick and orange peel.
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What Is A Brown Sugar Old Fashioned?
The Old Fashioned is a classic whiskey cocktail that was developed during the 19th century and was given its name in the 1880s. The drink is typically prepared by muddling sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey, garnishing with an orange slice and cocktail cherry.
We’ve shared several tasty rifts on the traditional old fashioned including a Scotch Old Fashioned Cocktail, Irish Old Fashioned Cocktail and Christmas Old Fashioned.
A Brown Sugar Old Fashioned simply substitutes a white sugar cube for brown sugar, giving the drink a desired molasses flavour profile. We decorate the rocks glass with a festive cinnamon stick and orange peel.
Our favourite time of year to shake up this Old Fashioned recipe is during the Christmas and New Years holiday cocktail party season…but it can be muddled and sipped year round!
Travel The World to Taste Whiskey
There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with the best Brown Sugar Old Fashioned recipe then by planning a vacation to visit the world’s best whiskey distilleries.
Some of the world’s most famous whiskey/whisky distilleries can be found in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The booming whiskey trend has also produced a high demand for premium whiskey produced by distilleries in Canada and America.
We’ve visited a handful of whiskey distilleries in Europe as well as a chic whiskey cocktail bar at Multnomah Whiskey Library in Portland and Stranahans in Denver.
In Scotland we enjoyed a scenic road trip to the Isle of Islay, which is best known for its famous Islay Scotch whisky distilleries. If you’re looking to experience the best things to do on the Isle of Islay visit award-winning distilleries like Bruichladdich, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Bowmore.
We also suggest sipping local Scottish whisky on the Isle of Skye, Glasgow, Edinburgh and The Highlands. One of our favourite things to do in Edinburgh is the The Scotch Whisky Experience.
Fly over to Ireland and you’ll find plenty of fine whiskey produced by famous distilleries like Jamesons and Bushmills. There’s no better way to educate yourself about Irish Whiskey then by taking a tour of Jameson Distillery near Cork and Bushmills along the Causeway Coast. They’re both worth a day trip from Dublin.
Looking to plan the ultimate road trip of Canada to discover the best Canadian whisky?
Our favourite Canadian whiskies include Lot 40 from Ontario, Masterson’s from Alberta, Caribou Crossing from Quebec, Goodridge & Williams from British Columbia and Glenora from Nova Scotia.
Types of Whiskey
The wonderful world of whiskey can be confusing for newbies as there is a lot more variety compared to vodka and gin.
Whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash or by distilling beer. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, generally made of charred white oak.
The best way to familiarize yourself with whiskey and find a new favourite is by sipping as many varieties as you can. You’ll find single malt whiskies, blended whiskies, single pot still whiskey and and everything in between.
Our Brown Sugar Old Fashioned features premium whiskey and the flavour profile of the craft cocktail can be adjusted to suit your tastes based on whichever bottle you chose. Add a Bourbon to your cocktail shaker and you’ll enjoy a sweeter flavour. Or grab a bottle of Islay Scotch to experience peaty undertones.
- Scotch: is made in Scotland with either malt or grain. The spirit must age in an oak barrel for at least three years. Many of the top Scotch bottles are revered for their peaty character. Popular Scotch brands include Johnnie Walker, Ballantine’s and Ardbeg.
- Irish Whiskey: has a smoother flavor than other types of whiskey. It’s made from a mash of malt, can only be distilled using water and caramel coloring, and must be distilled in wooden casks for at least three years. Popular Irish whiskey brands include Jamesons, Bushmills and Green Spot.
- Bourbon: An American-style whiskey, bourbon is made from corn. In fact, to be called bourbon whiskey, the spirit needs to be made from at least 51% corn, aged in a new oak barrel and produced in America. It has no minimum aging period and needs to be bottled at 80 proof or more. Popular Bourbon brands include Ezra Brooks, Wild Turkey and Maker’s Mark.
- Canadian Whisky: must be barrel-aged for at least three years. It’s lighter and smoother than other types of whiskey because it contains a high percentage of corn. You will find that most Canadian whiskies are made from corn and rye, but can also include wheat and barley. Popular Canadian whisky brands include Canadian Club, JP Wiser’s and Wayne Gretzky Estates.
Brown Sugar Old Fashioned Cocktail Ingredients
This homemade Brown Sugar Old Fashioned recipe is made with premium ingredients:
- Whiskey: we tested this recipe with Canadian Wayne Gretzky Estates Whiskey, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and Glenfiddich Scotch.
- Brown Sugar: use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar depending on how strong you want the molasses flavour to be in the cocktail.
- Bitters: we suggest using Angostura bitters but you could also use orange bitters.
- Orange Peel: garnish the cocktail with orange peel and a cinnamon stick.
Brown Sugar Old Fashioned Recipe Tips
This festive Old Fashioned recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes.
Our Brown Sugar Old Fashioned cocktail serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a festive punch bowl or jug rather than a cocktail shaker.
Use light brown sugar for a more subtle molasses flavour and dark brown sugar for a more pronounced experience.
You can use Angostura bitters or orange bitters. Feel free to garnish each rocks glass with a cinnamon stick and orange peel to impress guests.
Muddle the drink with large pieces of ice or ice spheres to ensure the cocktail does not dilute too quickly.
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Brown Sugar Old Fashioned cocktail soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.
You May Also Enjoy These Whiskey Cocktails…
- Peach Whiskey Sour Cocktail
- Irish Mule Ginger Beer Whiskey Cocktail
- Wheat Beer and Whiskey Cocktail
- Ginger Whiskey Pear Cocktail
- Hawaiian Whiskey Pineapple Sour Cocktail
- Iced Irish Coffee Cocktail
- Cherry Whiskey Sour Cocktail
- Blueberry Buck Whiskey Cocktail
- Fresh Berry Lemonade Summer Whiskey Cocktail
- Perfect Rob Roy Scotch Manhattan
- Scotch Sour Whisky Cocktail
- Irish Whiskey Sour Cocktail
- Bushmills Cocktail Irish Whiskey and Apple Juice
How To Make A Brown Sugar Old Fashioned Cocktail
Brown Sugar Old Fashioned
Equipment
- Rocks Cocktail Glass
- Shot Glass
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Brown Sugar packed
- 1 tsp Water
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 2 oz Whiskey
- Orange Peel + Cinnamon Stick garnish
Instructions
- Add brown sugar, water and bitters to a cocktail glass. Muddle until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add whiskey, and ice and stir to combine.
- Garnish with orange peel and cinnamon stick.
Nutrition
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