“When I’m picking a whiskey for an Old-Fashioned, there are three main things I’m looking at,” says Jake Powell, bar manager at Death & Co. Denver and one of the Best New Bartenders of 2023. He considers the mash bill (looking for corn, to bring natural sweetness to the drink), the proof (preferably at least 90, to stand up to dilution “without being too hot”) and age in the barrel (ideally at least four years, for caramel and wood spice flavors).
Resa Mueller, bartender at Philadelphia’s R&D, makes a similar calculation: “Not only do I want to taste everything from the grain to the barrel, I also want a high enough ABV so that it doesn’t fall flat once you consider dilution and a hint of sweetness,” she says.
To simplify the process of finding a bottle that does it all, we asked Powell, Mueller and a handful of other bartenders for the best bourbons for an Old-Fashioned, at every price. While these bourbons represent a starting point, don’t forget the most important consideration: pleasure.
“I’m going to let everyone in on a dirty little secret,” says Jamie Boudreau, owner of Canon in Seattle. “The trick to making a good Old-Fashioned is simply to use whatever bourbon you enjoy. Really. It’s not much more complicated than that.”
