Ingredients

   
2 oz bourbon (or rye whiskey)
1 tsp sugar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 tsp water
  Orange twist, for garnish

Steps

  1. Add sugar and bitters to a mixing glass. Add water and stir until sugar is nearly dissolved.

  2. Fill with ice, add bourbon, and stir until well-chilled.

  3. Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.

  4. Express the oil of an orange twist over the glass, then drop it in.

Analysis

Total drink: ~85g (2 oz bourbon at 45%, 1 tsp sugar, bitters, stirred over one large cube)

Component Amount % of drink
Alcohol (ethanol) ~21g 25.1%
Sugar ~4g 4.7%
Water + dilution ~60g 70.2%

The most spirit-forward of the set — ~25% ABV finished, just off-dry. Almost nothing but whiskey: a teaspoon of sugar and a few dashes of bitters, softened by ~20g of slow dilution off one large cube. The big cube is the point — it chills without watering the drink down the way small ice would.

Notes

  • The template is spirit + sugar + bitters. When all three are in balance, none should dominate.
  • Sugar softens the whiskey and creates mouthfeel. Bitters add depth and prevent it from being cloying.
  • Bourbon’s vanilla and caramel notes from charred oak pair naturally with sugar and bitters. Rye gives a spicier, drier result.
  • One large ice cube melts slower than several small ones — keeps the drink cold without over-diluting.
  • Stirred, not shaken.