Blood Orange Old Fashioned

Try a twist on the classic old fashioned cocktail by adding in a splash of juicy blood orange. The Blood Orange Old Fashioned creates a vibrant drink that is not only delicious, but also a beautiful show stopper.

This blood orange old fashioned is a great cocktail. You’ve got to try our favorite cocktail the Baby Yoda Cocktail, a cute and delicious kiwi martini that is perfect for any Star Wars lover. Or try this Hot Spiked Apple Cider to keep you nice and toasty.

Old Fashioned with Blood Orange

Citrus fruit is at its peak during the winter and what better time to use it to make a sophisticated drink than while relaxing by the fire.

The blood orange always draws me in with its deep red hue and sweet tart flavor.

I just love to bake with it and utilize it where I can when they are in season, which is basically December through March. This citrus can be used in cakes, blood orange icing, drinks, sorbets, cookies, tarts, sauces, meats, the list goes on and on.

It pairs so well with almost any type of alcohol, that’s what makes it the perfect addition to this old fashioned. The juice adds a bright, clean flavor and a slight reddish orange hue that is hard to pass up. This would be a lovely drink to have for Valentines Day.

If you love an old fashioned, you will dig this version that is gently flavored with a little blood orange juice.

Why is it Called an Old Fashioned?

The old fashioned came about in the very early 1800’s, but wasn’t named that at the time. Back then it was just a whiskey cocktail that contained just sugar, water, bitters, and whiskey. It is one of the oldest cocktails.

It was loved for its simplicity, but when it became popular in the 1860’s to add more to it like absinthe or orange curaçao, people started requesting a drink that was more like the original version. Hence, how it got the name “old fashioned.”

The drink is typically served in an old fashioned glass, lowball glass, or a rocks glass which is a short tumbler with a heavy bottom that traditionally had cut glass ornamentation. Plain glass sides on an old fashioned glass are also perfectly acceptable for the cocktail.

Blood Orange Old Fashioned Cocktail

To keep this drink true to its 19th century origins, this version is made by muddling granulated sugar with the bitters. But, instead of water we are using a little blood orange juice.

Of course, you could always add simple syrup instead of sugar or a sugar cube. More current versions of the old fashioned may do this. It’s a bit of a time saver (unless you make your own simple syrup like I like to do), but may add a little additional water to the drink.

How Can I be Sure to Fully Dissolve the Sugar?

It is particularly important to be sure to fully dissolve the sugar in your old fashioned. You need to stir the sugar, bitters, and blood orange juice together, stir it again and probably again. You will need some patience for this process. It may take about 3 minutes of stirring to get the sugar fully dissolved.

If you don’t integrate the sugar well, the sugar will remain at the bottom of the glass and your drink will be very strong. This is the reason many choose to use sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar.

Blood Orange Old Fashioned Ingredients

This old fashioned is made with just a few simple ingredients. The blood orange peel in the drink is optional but adds to the drinks beauty.

• Sugar: You will either need granulated sugar, sugar cube or simple syrup.
• Bitters: This combination of herbs and spices are used to flavor cocktails. I use Angostura Orange Bitters or Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
• Juice: You will be using a little juice from a blood orange that has been strained to make sure it is pulp free.
• Whiskey: A good quality rye whiskey or bourbon may be used. Rye will be a little more peppery where as bourbon is more sweet and mellow.
• Garnish: Garnish this drink with the peel of the blood orange.

How to Make Blood Orange Old Fashioned

Here is basically how to assemble the cocktail. The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below in the recipe card.

1. In an old fashioned glass, add the sugar and saturate with the bitters.
2. Add in the blood orange juice and muddle. Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Fill with ice and add in whiskey. Stir gently.
4. Garnish with blood orange peel.

Blood Orange Old Recipe Tips

• Dissolve sugar. Make sure to completely dissolve the sugar. If you don’t, the sugar will remain at the bottom of the glass and your drink will be very strong. It will take about 3 minutes of muddling.
• Simple syrup. Use simple syrup instead of granulated sugar or a sugar cube to reduce stirring time.
• Big ice cubes. The bigger the ice cubes, the better. The larger ice cube will melt slower causing less dilution to the drink.
• Blood oranges. When buying blood oranges make sure the skin is free of blemishes and that they smell ripe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an old fashioned? An old fashioned is one of the original cocktails. It consists of sugar, bitters, water, and whiskey.

Is an old fashioned sweet? Even though the old fashioned contains sugar, I would not by any means say that it is a sweet drink. It has a hint of sweet but is not overly sugary.

What does blood orange taste like? A blood orange tastes like a normal orange but with a slight bitter flavor.

What if the old fashioned is too strong? If the old fashioned tastes too strong for you, I recommend letting the ice melt more before drinking it. Don’t add a bunch of extra sugar to sweeten it.

Try these other recipes!

• Baby Yoda Kiwi Cocktail
• Hot Spiked Apple Cider
• Lemon Drop Cocktail
• Bourbon Sour Blood Orange Cocktail
• Manhattan Cocktail

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