Updated July 2026.
The IBA Old Fashioned is 45 ml (about 1.5 oz) bourbon or rye, a sugar cube, and dashes of Angostura. That 1.5-ounce 80-proof pour is one NIAAA standard drink; a common 2-ounce bar pour is 1.33 drinks at 40% and 1.5 drinks at 45%. “Best bourbon” is the bottle that still tastes like bourbon after sugar — not a 2022 top-20 tasting we will not fake.
90–100 proof is the working band. 80-proof White Label can taste thin under syrup. Barrel-proof needs more water. Wheat bourbon (Maker’s) is softer; high-rye (Bulleit, Old Grand-Dad) is spicier. Related: best whiskey for an Old Fashioned.
What the glass actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Default 90–100 proof | Buffalo Trace 90, Woodford 90.4, Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester 100 | Holds up to sugar; identity is 27 CFR 5.143 |
| Wheat / softer | Maker’s Mark 90, Larceny when you see it | Wheat in the flavoring-grain slot |
| High-rye spice | Bulleit 90, Old Grand-Dad 100, Four Roses | More rye than a low-rye mash |
| Budget that still works | Evan Williams Bonded, Jim Beam Bonded, Barton 100 | Cheap bourbon with proof |
| Skip for this drink | Honey / cinnamon whiskey, 60-proof liqueurs | Different class; sugar on sugar |
Four 2-ounce 90-proof Old Fashioneds are about 6 standard drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Allocation bottles (Blanton’s, Weller) are wasted under a cube if you only wanted caramel. Dash size: dash of bitters. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- IBA Old Fashioned (fetched 2026): 45 ml bourbon or rye, sugar cube, Angostura, water.
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143 bourbon identity. Bonded = 100 proof (27 CFR 5.88).
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). No invented ranking or MSRP.