The Old Fashioned is the cocktail most dependent on its garnish. The orange slice is not decoration—it is part of the drink's aromatic profile. This version uses ToGarnish dehydrated orange to ensure consistency in every service, from the first cocktail of the night to the last.
Why Dehydrated Orange Outperforms Fresh in This Cocktail
In an Old Fashioned, the bartender squeezes the oil from the peel over the surface of the drink before placing the garnish. This gesture works equally well with fresh and dehydrated orange—the difference is in what happens next. Fresh orange placed on the glass begins to visibly oxidize in 15 to 20 minutes. ToGarnish dehydrated orange maintains its color and structure indefinitely during service. For a bar where Old Fashioneds are continuously prepared during 4 to 6 hours of service, this eliminates one of the most common points of inconsistency in presentation.
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 60 ml bourbon or Puerto Rican aged rum (Ron del Barrilito 3 Estrellas or Serrallés)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 5 ml simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube)
- 1 slice ToGarnish dehydrated orange
- 1 maraschino cherry (optional)
- Block ice or large cube
Preparation
- In a mixing glass, dissolve the simple syrup with the bitters. If using a sugar cube, moisten it with the bitters and crush until dissolved.
- Add the aged rum. Add cubed ice and stir with a bar spoon for 30 to 40 seconds—the goal is dilution and controlled temperature, not aggressive mixing.
- Serve in a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Do not strain if you prefer greater progressive dilution.
- Take the ToGarnish dehydrated orange slice and gently run it along the rim of the glass before placing it. The warmth of your hand activates the essential oils concentrated during the dehydration process.
The Boricua Version: Aged Rum Instead of Bourbon
Puerto Rican aged rum has a softer barrel profile and more pronounced vanilla notes than bourbon. This makes the orange oils from the garnish more perceptible to the nose because they don't compete with the heavy tannins of American whiskey. Ron del Barrilito 3 Estrellas is the local standard for this version—its aging in American oak barrels creates a natural bridge with the concentrated citrus oils of the dehydrated orange.
For Bars: Garnish Standardization
The Old Fashioned is one of the most ordered cocktails in premium bars in Puerto Rico. If your operation serves more than 20 per night, the cost of fresh orange—including purchase, cutting, storage, and waste—can exceed $50 per week in a medium-volume bar. A 4oz bag of ToGarnish dehydrated orange contains 65+ slices at a retail price of $16, or significantly less at wholesale price. The garnish does not require refrigeration, generates no waste, and the presentation is uniform in every drink.
Wholesale account: togarnish.com · Wholesale pricing available with a minimum order of 2 cases per SKU.