Muddling oranges and cherries and adding sprite are common travesties that force me to avoid the Old Fashioned at bars. A stirred Manhattan on the rocks is a decent substitute.
My Old Fashioned is a slight variation on this excellent recipe:
Ingredients:
2 oz of single barrel or small batch bourbon (I like Evan Williams 10 year or Elijah Craig for a good reasonable bottle)
2 sugar cubes (better with natural sugar)
2 – 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
3 – 4 Maraschino cherries (Optional, but I like to eat them at the end of the drink. You can substitute a slice of lemon or orange.)
Preparation:
Add bitters to cubes in bottom of Old Fashioned glasses with a splash of water (or club soda if you have it). Crush sugar with bar spoon; then, stir until the sugar dissolves. Add bourbon and swirl to stir. A few ice cubes and cherries. Let ice melt as long as you can hold off, before enjoying.