Rum Old Fashioned Recipe

By Author Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

Posted on Last updated: August 3, 2023

The Rum Old Fashioned is like a classic Old Fashioned with one exception – it’s crafted with rum instead of whiskey. After you follow our easy recipe and craft this drink at home, you’ll wonder where this stiff rum cocktail has been all of your life.

While sipping a Rum Old Fashioned at a bar, we had one of those aha moments. Why does the primary ingredient in an Old Fashioned have to be whiskey?

The answer – it doesn’t.

We were so inspired by this revelation that we crafted Rum Old Fashioned cocktails at home a few days later. We even bought the same Riedel rocks glasses designed by Zane Harris to replicate the bar experience. Yes, we’re that obsessed.

Replacing whiskey with rum seems so simple. And, yet, a Rum Old Fashioned is its own special cocktail. Since it’s super easy to craft and dangerously delightful to sip, it’s now become part of our home cocktail rotation.

The Rum Old Fashion is a modern twist on one of the world’s most classic cocktails. And, no, we’re not talking about the orange twist that often garnishes both versions.

While replacing bourbon with rum is the obvious twist, we go one step further in our Rum Old Fashioned recipe by replacing Angostura bitters with orange bitters. The resulting cocktail has a tropical flavor that screams summer but tastes great all year long.

While we don’t know when or where the Rum Old Fashioned was invented, we do know that the original Old Fashioned pre-dates Prohibition. It was possibly invented in Louisville during the Civil War but its origin may go back further. It’s so iconic that people drink Old Fashioned cocktails in old fashioned glasses.

Discover more Pre-Prohibition cocktails.

You need the following ingredients to craft this Rum Old Fashioned recipe:

You may have all of these ingredients in your pantry and liquor cabinet. If not, they should be easy to find at your local market and/or liquor store.

Use your favorite aged or dark rum in this recipe. We like to use Havana Club Ańejo Especial Cuban Rum We bought our first bottle of this aged rum to craft Cuba Libre cocktails. Double aged in oak barrels and with flavors that include cinnamon, orange and vanilla, the golden Cuban rum is now our go-to aged rum for crafting rum cocktails. It has a 40% ABV.

Discover our favorite rum cocktails.

We bought a bottle of Angostura orange bitters specifically to craft Bijou cocktails and we’re still using that same bottle. With an aromatic blend of orange extracts and spices, these orange bitters smell delightful. They also add provide a pleasant kick thanks to a 28% ABV.

Our easy Rum Old Fashioned recipe only requires the following bar tools:

Feel free to get creative if you’re missing either of these basic bar tools. For example, you could use a mini angled measuring cup if you don’t have a jigger.

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

Once you gather these two bar tools (or their replacements) and the ingredients, the first step is to drop a sugar cube into an old fashioned glass.

Add a few dashes of orange bitters and a splash of water to the glass.

Buy a bottle of orange bitters from Amazon if you need a bottle.

Muddle the sugar cube, bitters and water with a muddler. Ideally, you can use the bottom, muddling end of your bar spoon to do the muddling.

Buy a bar spoon with a muddler from Amazon if you need a bar spoon, a muddler or both.

Drop a jumbo ice cube tray into the glass. The bigger the better! Not only do jumbo ice cubes look pro, but they also melt more slowly due to their size.

Buy a jumbo ice cube tray from Amazon if you need don’t already have one.

Measure the aged rum with a jigger and pour it directly into the glass. We always use a Japanese jigger when we measure liquor to achieve accurate measures and clean pours.

Buy a Japanese Jigger from Amazon if you don’t have a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.

Give the cocktail a good stir using a bar spoon or other stirring implement.

Express an orange peel around the glass’s rim. This step releases pleasing orange scents and coats the rim with a light layer of orange oil.

Drop the orange peel into the glass.

Feel free to add a maraschino cherry or two as additional garnish. We recommend using Luxardo cherries if you go this route since they’re simply the best.

Buy a jar of Luxardo cherries from Amazon if you don’t already have a jar.

Since the Rum Old Fashioned isn’t a classic cocktail, you can and should craft it any way that makes you happy. Here are some ideas:

A Rum Old Fashioned is an Old Fashioned crafted with rum instead of whiskey.

The key Rum Old Fashioned ingredients are rum, bitters and sugar. Typical garnishes include orange peel and maraschino cherries.

The Rum Old Fashioned cocktail is stirred, not shaken

This twist on the traditional Old Fashioned replaces whiskey with rum to create a cocktails that's simultaneously smooth, stiff and sweet.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Try our Absinthe Frappe, Amaretto Sour, Americano, Aperol Spritz, Aviation, Bee’s Knees, Bellini, Between the Sheets, Bijou, Black Russian, Boulevardier, Brandy Alexander, Bronx, Brooklyn, Brown Derby, Café Maria Theresia, Caipirinha, Clover Club, Coquito, Corpse Reviver #2, Cosmopolitan, Creamsicle, Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Dark and Stormy, Diplomat, Dirty Shirley, Eggnog, Emerald, Espresso Martini, French 75, French Connection, Fuzzy Navel, G+T, Garibaldi, Gibson, Gimlet, Gold Rush, Grasshopper, Hanky Panky, Hemingway Daiquiri,Hugo Spritz, Hurricane, Irish Coffee, Jungle Bird, Kentucky Mule, Kir Royale, Last Word, Lemon Drop Martini, Limoncello Spritz, Mai Tai, Manhattan, Maple Bourbon Smash, Margarita, Martinez, Mary Pickford, Mauresque, Milk Punch, Mind Eraser, Mint Julep, Mojito, Moscow Mule, Mudslide, Negroni, Negroni Sbagliato, New York Sour, Old Fashioned, Old Pal, Paloma, Paper Plane, Pimm’s Cup, Pina Colada, Pink Lady, Porto Tonico, Ramos Gin Fizz, Ranch Water, Revolver, Sazerac, Sex on the Beach, Sidecar, Siesta, Spicy Margarita, Tequila Sunrise, Tipperary, Tomate, Vesper Martini, Vieux Carré, Whiskey Ginger, Whiskey Sour, White Lady, White Russian and Woo Woo cocktail recipes.

View the latest Web Story.

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.

Article UpdatesWe update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.FundingWe purchased the ingredients and tools used to craft this cocktail.

Original Publication Date: July 28, 2023