If you've ever been so exhausted after a long day at work that you don't even have it in you to make a drink, then boy are you going to love a freezer door old-fashioned. It's a cocktail that's ready to go anytime you are — all you have to do is open your freezer, grab it from the door, and pour yourself a glass.
If having an ice-cold, tasty old-fashioned that's always ready sounds like heaven, then I've got good news for you. You can mix a batch of this drink any time, store it in your freezer door, and pull it out after those long, hard days when you just want to sit down with your feet up and read a good book.
Why Freezer Door Old-Fashioneds Are Great
It probably seems self-explanatory... having an ice-cold drink that's ready to enjoy the very second you want it is probably reason enough. But if you need more reasons why freezer door old-fashioneds deserve space in your freezer, we've got 'em. For the couple who have a preferred bourbon for their old-fashioned (Maker's for him, Bulliet bourbon for me), we don't need to elbow for first space in the kitchen with the supplies. Instead, we make them up ahead of time, and we both have a chilly and ready-to-go old-fashioned in the freezer.
They're also great for parties you host, as a host gift, or as a contribution to a party when it's BYOB. Or maybe you forgot to make food, and this is your olive branch. An old-fashioned olive branch always fixes things.
Freezer Door Old-Fashioned Recipe
You can make one or a dozen old-fashioneds at once with this freezer door recipe. This starts with four servings, but all you need to do is use a basic old-fashioned recipe and multiply by the number of servings you can fit in your glass or jar.
Since you'll most likely be working with several ounces, it can be useful to use a measuring cup rather than a jigger when measuring ingredients.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (1 cup) bourbon
- 3 ounces simple syrup
- 10-12 dashes orange bitters
- 6-8 dashes aromatic bitters
- ½ ounce water
- Jar or bottle with lid
Instructions
- In jar or bottle, add bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, and water.
- Cap and give a solid shake to mix.
- Store in the freezer for approximately six hours or overnight.
- Swirl before opening.
- Serve 2¾ ounces of freezer door cocktail in a rocks glass over fresh ice or a king cube.
- Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Freezer Door Old-Fashioned Tips and Tricks
An old-fashioned is a personal drink from the whiskey to the garnish to how you'd like it to be served. There's no reason you can't customize your freezer door old-fashioned. After all, a good cocktail should give you a shiver.
- Play around with the bourbon you use, including flavored bourbon or infused bourbon. Just remember to use less simple syrup so it's not as sweet.
- Make sure you use the right size jar or bottle: you don't want the old-fashioned mixing with too much air. Otherwise, it could start to freeze due to the simple syrup and water.
- Experiment with different bitters, such as chocolate, tobacco, or even mole.
- Making your freezer door old-fashioned in a partially empty whiskey bottle or nearly empty maple syrup bottle is a great way to reuse containers.
- If you're the type to make infinity bourbon bottles, feel free to shake it up by making infinity bourbon freezer door old-fashioneds.
Vintage Charm and Modern Solutions
There are plenty of ways to shake and make up a classic cocktail that's been around for decades. And the old-fashioned is absolutely no exception. In fact, some might even say that the new old-fashioned way might even be cooler. But you can decide that for yourself.
