You only need a few ingredients to make a fabulous old-fashioned cocktail: quality bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar, Angostura bitters, and some orange peels and/or cherries for the final touch.

Though this classic cocktail probably dates back to the early 1800s, it’s strongly associated with the Prohibition era. Legend has it that the sugar and other ingredients were used to mask the awful taste of bootlegged liquor. 

There’s nothing wrong with sticking with a tried-and-true old-fashioned recipe. But what if you’re ready to elevate your old-fashioned game? Let’s explore a few ideas for shaking things (errr… stirring things) up a bit.

Throw some beer in the mix

I’ve experimented with mixing whiskey and beer – and I wasn’t exactly a fan. But if combining these two fine beverages floats your boat, check out this recipe for a Brewski Old Fashioned from Beer Advocate.

The recipe calls for the usual old-fashioned ingredients, plus an ounce of oatmeal stout and some vanilla stout syrup. Make the syrup by shaving a vanilla bean into a stout beer, bringing it to a boil and chilling.

Use bacon fat-washed bourbon

If only every day could start with bacon and bourbon. Maybe if I made this glorious Bacon Fat-Washed Old-Fashioned from High-Proof Preacher more frequently, I wouldn’t hit snooze approximately 43 times each morning before getting out of bed.

The recipe requires a bit of planning ahead for the bacon fat wash, but it’s pretty straightforward to make: Just add leftover bacon grease to a mason jar, add bourbon, and chill overnight to solidify the fat. 

Mix the bourbon with maple syrup and bitters, and garnish with orange zest and (duh) bacon. It’s truly the breakfast of champions.

Make it smoky

Another way to make your old-fashioned a show-stopper is to add some smoke. This whiskey smoker set is the perfect way to experiment with heat. It comes with a mini torch, whiskey barrel puck, two rocks glasses and a can of whiskey barrel bourbon chips.

You can use your favorite old-fashioned recipe. The smoke will give it a new dimension of flavor, plus you’ll wow your friends with your mixology skills.

Use a different liquor

Yeah, I know this is a blog about whiskey. But whiskey won’t get jealous if you step out with a different liquor from time to time, so you can experiment with other spirits in place of the traditional base of bourbon or rye whiskey. Here are a few ideas:

• Mix it up with aged rum

• Make a Oaxaca old-fashioned by using mezcal

• Use a Scotch whisky instead of American whiskey

Add your favorite fruit

This old-fashioned recipe from Scratchmade Southern uses bourbon infused with sliced peaches for a unique twist. But you can use the same technique with many fruits of your choosing, including blueberries, pineapple or oranges.

Fill a mason jar about halfway to two-thirds of the way with fruit, then fill the rest with bourbon. Refrigerate it for anywhere from three days to a week to let the bourbon soak up the flavors.

Make it a dessert

If you add chocolate to your old-fashioned, it can make for a decadent dessert. This chocolate old-fashioned recipe from Emily Laurae uses whiskey, chocolate liqueur, chocolate or coffee bitters, and cherry. 

Though the recipe doesn’t call for any specific type of whiskey or bourbon, I say you can’t go wrong with a sweet wheated bourbon like Maker’s Mark. 

What else do you need for a great old-fashioned?

A solid old-fashioned isn’t just about quality ingredients. The presentation matters, too. If you truly want to elevate your old-fashioned game, here are a few things to have in your bar:

• Good glassware. These gold-rimmed whiskey tumblers will spruce up an old-fashioned or any whiskey cocktail.

• Mixing spoons. Sure, you could stir your old-fashioned with the same old spoon you eat soup from, but where’s the fun in that? These pebbled long mixing spoons will add serious flair to your mixology.

• Fancy ice cubes. If you’re experimenting with old-fashioneds, don’t settle for whatever cubes your ice-maker spits out. This geometric cube ice tray will take your beverage from run-of-the-mill to masterpiece.

Think of an old-fashioned as a blank canvas. You can mix things up with whatever flavors you fancy, but hopefully these ideas will get you started.