What does it mean when someone orders an old fashioned?

Over the past decade, Old Fashioned has become omnipresent and is the default beverage order for certain types of urban housing, usually young male professionals. An Old Fashioned cocktail is a classic drink that is normally prepared with whiskey, bitters, sugar and ice. Ordering cocktails at a bar can be intimidating, especially if you're new to the bar world. To order an Old Fashioned without looking like a newbie, be sure to specify what brand and type of whiskey you want, how you want your drink to taste and what you want as a side dish.

An Old Fashioned is a single-container, scrambled cocktail built in a glass. It's one of their most wonderful and versatile amulets, since you can make an impressive version of it anywhere and anytime: in your house bar, on a plane with a packet of sugar, or on a picnic blanket. The choice of bourbon or rye depends on your taste, just measure two solid ounces, pour them over a cube of crushed sugar with a few dashes of angostura bitters, stir and add an abundant ice cube. If you have an orange or a lemon (or both) handy, garnish it with a good piece of citrus peel.