# Bourbon and bitters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [December 25, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856 "2020-12-25T00:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/1 "2020-12-25T00:06:02Z")
Is there a name for an Old Fashioned without sugar? Mrs. L.A. just gave me a bourbon on the rocks with Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/2 "2020-12-25T00:28:41Z")
Reported for forum change. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/3 "2020-12-25T04:28:32Z")
Isn’t that a Manhattan? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/4 "2020-12-25T04:39:01Z")
A Manhattan has sweet vermouth and uses rye. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/5 "2020-12-25T04:41:29Z")
Whatever the OP’s drinking, it’s been The Drink of My Pandemic. After deciding life’s too short to waste trying to like expensive Scotch, I’ve been sampling different Bourbons. Current favorite is Woodford Double-Oaked. And I’ve been trying different bitters… Bittercube makes great ones, I picked up some Bitter Truth _(Roots_ and _Nuts)_, but I still love Angostura. My recipe: shake four times as much as the bar guide says. But hey, OP? We’re just drinking Bourbon ‘n’ Bitters. It’d take more than sugar to turn that into an Old Fashioned… which also has muddled orange peel and cherry, and some orange zest. And if you’re doing the classic Wisconsin style, a "floater"of Graf’s 50/50 Grapefruit/Lime Soda. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/6 "2020-12-25T04:44:29Z")
WTF is it about Wisconsin? Brandy Old Fashioneds, weird floats, supper clubs. Does the cheese eventually turn them strange? ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/7 "2020-12-25T04:45:38Z")
[This guy had the same question](https://www.straightbourbon.com/community/topic/24758-just-bourbon-and-bitters/) > I realize that technically a cocktail is supposed to have bitters and syrup, but I have never been a fan of sweet drinks, or cocktails in general. I have always taken my bourbon neat. My bartender daughter finally talked me into trying something more exotic and was pushing an old fashioned. I decided to first try the bourbon with just a dash of bitters - no syrup - and it was pretty good. So I was wondering if anyone else takes their bourbon this way, and does this have a name (other than bourbon and bitters, I suppose) in case I decided to order it at a bar. I have scoured the internet and searched this forum and the only thing that keeps coming up is old fashioned. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/8 "2020-12-25T04:50:11Z")
Sounds like if the OP is drinking something without a name, he gets naming rights… > [@silenus](#): > > WTF is it about Wisconsin? Brandy Old Fashioneds, weird floats, supper clubs. You forgot the Friday Night Fish Fry. As I said in another thread: > If you’ve ever wished you could time travel, drive through Wisconsin (the catch is, you can’t time travel to any place _exciting…)._ It’s kind of comforting to experience that Happy Days kind of culture. Kick back with a bratwurst and an Old Fashioned, and cheer on the Packers. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/9 "2020-12-25T06:24:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > WTF is it about Wisconsin? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/10 "2020-12-25T09:08:47Z")
Not quite bourbon. Just bought a bottle of Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Rye Whiskey and have some Woodford Reserve Sassafras and Sorghum Bitters, so I might try them together, but I’ll probably try the rye by itself first. Also have some Angustora bitters to try. Don’t have any vermouth, sweet or otherwise. Something to buy next week if I think it’s necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/11 "2020-12-25T11:34:46Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > > [@silenus](#): > > > > WTF is it about Wisconsin? > > Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Wurst response ever. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2020, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bourbon-and-bitters/928856/12 "2020-12-25T13:39:23Z")
[quote=“digs, post:5, topic:928856”] “After deciding life’s too short to waste trying to like expensive Scotch, [/quote]” Some good brands are not that expensive. A Speyside is a good introduction to single malt. Maybe Glenfiddich (a very mild single malt) or a Glenlivet. A wine finish whisky might hit the spot, too. Regarding which, I had a bottle of a sherry finish whisky once, but the sherry was overpowering. Look for a port or Madeira finish.