Chill your glass: place your rocks glass in the freezer for two minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the drink.

Add the sugar and bitters: pour out any water from your chilled glass and add the sugar cube to the bottom, then add two dashes of Angostura bitters directly onto the sugar cube.

Muddle gently: using a muddler or the back of your spoon, press down on the sugar cube with light, controlled pressure to break up the cube and release the bitters' aromatics without crushing it into a fine powder.

Add the splash of water: pour about one teaspoon of water into the glass over the muddled sugar and bitters to help dissolve any remaining sugar crystals and create a syrupy base.

Stir to combine: use your bar spoon to stir the mixture for about ten seconds until the sugar dissolves completely and the bitters are evenly distributed with no gritty residue.

Add the bourbon: measure out two ounces of Maker's Mark bourbon using your jigger and pour it into the glass to bind with the sugar mixture.

Fill with ice: add your large ice cube to the glass or fill it three-quarters full with regular ice cubes if you don't have a large cube to begin chilling the bourbon.

Stir and chill: stir the drink with your bar spoon for about fifteen seconds until well chilled, listening for the clink of ice against the glass to integrate all the elements.

Express and garnish: cut a strip of orange peel about two inches long, hold it skin-side down over the drink, twist to express the citrus oils onto the surface, then drop the peel into the glass.

Serve and savor: serve immediately without a straw to enjoy the aroma of bourbon and orange with each sip; take your time as this drink is meant to be lingered over.