Old-Fashioned Simple Syrup & Cocktail Mix

Old-Fashioned Simple Syrup is the easiest way to make your favorite whiskey cocktail. It comes together in just under 10 minutes but lasts for a month in the fridge. Just add bourbon! You can even use it to make a big batch of old-fashioneds for simple serving and sipping.

About this Old-Fashioned Syrup recipe

I take serious pride in my classic old-fashioned recipe, and I think that it’s one that any at-home bartender should know! Fortunately, the recipe is relatively easy and only involves a few ingredients: whiskey, ice, bitters, simple syrup and maybe some orange zest or a cocktail cherry ^*. Despite the short ingredient list, putting everything together into a delicious drink can be a process.

If you’re entertaining, or in a hurry for happy hour, simplify things by making Old-Fashioned Syrup. This lets you batch your drinks to make one lickety-split or a whole bunch to share! And it makes an excellent whiskey lover gift, too.

Once you’ve made your syrup, all you have to do to make this classic drink is add some of this pre-made, old-fashioned mix to a glass with your ice cube, then add your favorite whiskey and garnishes. That’s it! You can even use it for low-ABV cocktails like this old-fashioned mocktail, and it even works in other kinds of cocktail recipes.

More old-fashioned cocktails: Brandy Old-Fashioned • Scotch Old-Fashioned • Rum Old-Fashioned

Tools & equipment

You will need a medium saucepan to make your old-fashioned mix, as well as a jigger ^* and spoon or spatula ^* for stirring.

Other than that, be sure you have an airtight container to store your finished syrup in the fridge. If you like to make lots of different syrups, a set of mason jars may be a good thing to have on hand. You can even add a mason jar pour spout lid to your jar for easy pouring.

favorite syrup storage

16-ounce mason jars

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swing top glass bottles

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syrup dispenser bottles

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Ingredients

You only need five main ingredients to make this easy old-fashioned syrup. Here’s what to grab from the grocery store:

• sugar: Simple syrups are made with sugar and water, but the type of sugar can be mixed up to create different flavor profiles. Plain, granulated sugar works just fine.
• water: If possible, always use filtered or distilled water for simple syrup. Filtered water has fewer impurities, so it is more likely to last. Tap water works as well, so don’t sweat it if you don’t have filtered water on hand.
• bitters x2: The classic old-fashioned recipe calls for a few dashes of bitters to add extra flavor and complexity to the cocktail. For this syrup, bitters are what make this syrup stand out as an easy batch cocktail ingredient.
• orange zest: Totally optional, but this adds a little zip. You could potentially skip adding a zest garnish if you want (but I still would).

Bitters for old-fashioneds

Bitters are alcoholic flavoring agents made of aromatic plant extracts that are often used to flavor cocktails and drinks. They can be made from a number of botanical ingredients such as herbs, spices, flowers, fruits, seeds, leaves, bark and roots. If you’re new to the world of bitters, I’ve got everything you need to know about bitters right here.

I used a combination of aromatic bitters and orange bitters ^* for my Old-Fashioned Syrup. Hella Bitters sells a two-pack of these two flavors, so pick them up if you don’t have them already. You can also use other flavors of bitters instead of aromatic and orange — have fun with this syrup and make it your own!

favorite bitters

angostura bitters

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cocktail bitters sampler set

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bitters set

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Best whiskey for old-fashioneds

Old-fashioned cocktails are usually made with bourbon whiskey, though sometimes they are made with mezcal or dark rum. You can also use other types of whiskey, including rye whiskey, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky or even a different booze altogether — like tequila — to make an old-fashioned.

These cocktails are what we call “spirit-forward,” meaning they are heavy on the booze, so the quality of alcohol you choose really matters here. That said, the best bourbon for an old-fashioned really comes down to your favorite bourbon whiskey! 

Woodford Reserve, Angel’s Envy, Four Roses, Maker’s Mark and Bulleit are some of my favorites, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them! As I always say, use the best bourbon you can afford for the best drink.

Variations & substitutions

This syrup works as a wonderful blank slate because it’s so easy to customize. Give it your own modern twist. Here are a few ideas, but let me know in the comments below what combinations you come up with!

Flavored old-fashioned syrups: Feel free to stray from the classic aromatic bitters options to come up with your own flavor combinations, if you like. For example, a trio of cardamom bitters ^*, cinnamon bitters ^* and clove bitters ^* makes a lovely chai old-fashioned!

Sugar variations: Granulated sugar works just fine, but feel free to mix things up with other types of sugar. For example, brown sugar and demerara sugar provide a deeper, caramel and molasses flavor that works well. Here are a few other sweetener swaps you can try:

• Sugar-free old-fashioned syrup: You can use your favorite sugar-free substitute. See this sugar-free syrup for more on which ones you can use.
• Smoked old-fashioned syrup: Burnt sugar syrup uses sugar that’s been caramelized to the point of burning and gives off a dark, complex, smoky taste. It’s a great way to give off the air of a smoked old-fashioned in this batch mix.
• Honey old-fashioned syrup: Honey gives off a subtly fruity and floral flavor — the honey old-fashioned is excellent and deliciously light.
• Maple old-fashioned syrup: Use maple syrup instead of sugar in this recipe for a sweeter flavor. This is a quick way to make a maple old-fashioned cocktail.

How to make Old-Fashioned Syrup

Like its name indicates, making Old-Fashioned Simple Syrup is incredibly, well, simple!

First, warm the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar dissolves. For this recipe, we’re making what’s called a “rich simple syrup,” which means there is more sugar than water — this will result in a thicker syrup. I also added a piece of orange zest to this mixture for added flavor, but that’s totally optional.

When the sugar has dissolved, removed your pan from heat. Let the orange zest infuse as it cools, then remove it. Once cooled, measure out your bitters into a jigger ^*. Stir both types of bitters into the simple syrup mixture.

Allow your syrup to cool completely before you use it or store it. It will store in the fridge for about a month in an airtight, food-safe container such as a mason jar or glass bottle.

Old-fashioneds with pre-made mix

Once you have made old-fashioned simple syrup, it’s easy to throw together a quick old-fashioned cocktail. This syrup would also work well in a classic champagne cocktail for additional flavor.

Add ¼ to ½ ounce of the old-fashioned syrup to a mixing glass ^* (or do it right in your rocks glass ^*). How much depends on how sweet you like your old-fashioneds — more syrup will make a sweeter drink. Top with your favorite whiskey and stir together. (Some people add a splash of water next — that’s up to you!)

And you’re done! No need to add anything else, unless you desire a garnish.

Quick garnish ideas

You can save time with garnishes, too, which is so handy if you’re making a batch of cocktails for guests.

1. Cocktail cherries: Prepare your own cocktail cherries and store in the fridge for easy garnishes. (Or buy some — here are some of my favorites.) Don’t use maraschino cherries though — they are too sweet!
2. Orange zest: A piece of fresh orange zest is a classic garnish, but it can be time-consuming to peel a bunch of oranges if you’re making a big batch. That’s why we mix it in for flavor, but you could also use a dehydrated orange slice or piece of candied orange peel to preserve that bitter orange flavor and still add fragrance to the cocktail — without a lot of work.
3. Large ice cubes: Keep large ice cubes or clear ice balls ready to go in your freezer. If you want to take things up a notch, freeze your cubes with the garnishes inside, like flowers, herbs or berries. You can even make ice from tea to infuse a new flavor into the drink as it melts.

favorite ice molds

small stackable ice cube tray

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large ice sphere molds

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large stackable ice cube tray

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