Professor of Cocktail Studies

Strictly speaking, an Old-Fashioned consists of 2 oz. whiskey, sugar (a dissolved sugar cube or 1/4 oz. simple syrup), bitters (2-3 dashes; Angostura bitters are the gold standard); and ice (a single large ice cube is best, since it slows dilution). But many recipes call for an orange peel as well, and patrons usually expect it.  But what do you do when you don’t have any orange peels? You can omit the sugar and substitute a splash of Grand Marnier, an orange-flavored liqueur.   This provides the sweetness of the sugar and the touch of orange flavor—plus a little extra kick.