Updated April 2026.
There is no official 2026 bartender poll — and we will not invent one. The IBA Old Fashioned is whiskey, sugar, and Angostura; it names no bourbon. Working bars pour in-stock 80-100 proof bottles, not allocated unicorns. A 1.5-ounce 80-proof pour is one NIAAA drink; 100 proof is 1.25. This is not a 15-bottle ranking.
Bourbon identity is a US type. Related: Old Fashioned bourbon, cheap bourbon, bonded bourbon.
What a working well actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 80-proof well | Jim Beam White, Ancient Age, Old Crow | 1.00 drink / 1.5 oz; national distribution |
| 90-proof call | Buffalo Trace when you can find it; Maker’s Mark; Eagle Rare 10 | 1.13 drinks; allocation is not “bartender voted” |
| 100-proof / bonded | Old Grand-Dad Bonded, Evan Williams BiB, Wild Turkey 101 | 1.25 drinks; stands up to ice and bitters |
| Skip as “the bartender pick” | Unicorns with a cheap SR and no back-bar bottle | Not a poll; not in the well |
Four 100-proof Old Fashioneds are five drinks before the sugar. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. No invented MSRP or medals. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- IBA Old Fashioned (whiskey + sugar + Angostura). No named bourbon.
- 27 CFR 5.143 / 5.88. Named bottles are distribution examples, not a survey.
- NIAAA December 2025. No fake bartender poll. No MSRP.
- is 27 CFR 5.143