The Snarky Bartender

A good Old Fashioned is simple.
A great one is intentional.

Two stacked copies of Stirred, Not Shaken by Wren Peterman.

Whiskey. Sugar. Bitters. Ice. Four ingredients. Countless possibilities—and more than a few opinions about how they belong together.

Stirred, Not Shaken

The Snarky Bartender’s Guide to the Not. So. Old. Fashioned.

By Wren Peterman

Explore the Book

The Old Fashioned doesn’t need reinventing. It needs understanding.

Stirred, Not Shaken goes beyond the familiar recipe to explore what makes an Old Fashioned worth drinking. From the fundamentals of balance and technique to the character of different spirits, house-made syrups, bitters, and unexpected variations, it’s a practical guide to getting the details right.

Know the rules, learn when to bend them, and recognize when to leave a perfectly good drink alone.

Because the best cocktail isn’t necessarily the most complicated. It’s the one made with intention.

Inside the Book

  1. 01

    Get the fundamentals right

    Understand balance, technique, ice, and dilution—the small details that shape the finished drink.

  2. 02

    Know your ingredients

    Explore the character of different spirits, house-made syrups, and bitters.

  3. 03

    Find your next Old Fashioned

    Discover variations that build on the classic with purpose.

One from the book

Union & Grain

Dry • Structured • Oak-Driven

Built on rye, Union & Grain favors structure over sweetness and precision over embellishment. Spice leads. Oak follows. Bitters frame rather than decorate.

This is the drink that reminds you what the format is capable of when left alone.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz rye whiskey (90–100 proof)
  • ¼ oz Union Syrup
  • 2 dashes black walnut bitters
  • 1 dash aromatic bitters
Make the Union Syrup

Union Syrup

Deep • Structured • Restrained

Built from dark maple syrup and unsulphured molasses, Union Syrup delivers depth without tipping into sweetness. A measured dilution improves integration and balance.

Ingredients
  • 200 g dark maple syrup
  • 100 g unsulphured molasses
  • 50 g warm water
Method
  1. Combine maple syrup and molasses.
  2. Add warm water and stir until fully integrated.
  3. Bottle, label, and refrigerate.
Usage

Use at 1 bar spoon to ¼ oz in spirit-forward builds. If the drink reads sweet, reduce volume before adjusting bitters.

Garnish

  • 1 lightly smoked brandied cherry
  • Orange peel, expressed

Method

  1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with cold, dense ice.
  2. Stir until properly chilled and integrated.
  3. Strain over a large clear cube in a chilled rocks glass.
  4. Express an orange peel over the surface and rim, then discard.
  5. Garnish with one lightly smoked brandied cherry.

Tasting Notes

Aroma
orange oil, rye spice
Palate
dry caramel, black pepper, toasted grain
Finish
long, structured, quietly bitter

Union & Grain is not soft; it’s steady, with structure first and sweetness second.

More strong opinions. More drinks made with intention.

Measured drinks. Strong opinions. No fruit salad.

Whether you’re discovering the Old Fashioned for the first time or have been making them for years, there’s always something worth exploring.

Wren Peterman behind the bar in a waistcoat and bow tie.

About Wren Peterman

Wren Peterman has been behind a bar, or building one, for more than three decades. A lifelong creative with a brewing background, he approaches cocktails with curiosity, precision, and a dry sense of humor.

The Old Fashioned sits at the intersection of everything he values: balance, restraint, and letting good ingredients speak for themselves. Stirred, Not Shaken grew from years of stirring, adjusting, refining, and occasionally correcting other people’s ratios.

He still prefers to stir and never shakes unless it’s called for.

And he always measures.