I come bearing holiday cheer in the form of this spiced cranberry old fashioned cocktail. Because, let’s be honest: when family gathers, sometimes alcohol is very necessary. I have always been a bourbon fan and so naturally an old fashioned is one of my favorite cocktails. This is a simple, classic recipe, but with a fun holiday twist. I was shocked and how good this syrup is. I’ve also used it in a moscow mule (fantastic, just substitute it in in place of simple syrup) and also added it to the bottom of a flute of sparkling wine. Add it to sparkling water or la croix with some lime juice for a fun mocktail! The opportunities to customize this cocktail are endless. After a couple of these, it won’t matter that your racist uncle is spewing nonsense because you’ll be seeing stars. Cheers!
spiced cranberry old fashioned cocktail
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: cocktails
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
I love a good bourbon cocktail and this spiced cranberry old fashioned is my favorite cocktail to drink during the holidays or on a chilly evening.
Ingredients
Spiced Cranberry Old Fashioned:
- 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
- 3/4 oz spiced cranberry syrup (recipe below)
- 2 dashes old fashioned bitters
- ice
- orange peel, for garnish
Spiced Cranberry Syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 navel orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split open and scraped of seeds
- 1/2” piece of ginger, sliced
- 8 whole cloves
- 5 whole allspice berries
Instructions
- To make the syrup: take a vegetable peeler and peel only the outermost layer of the orange, save one piece of orange peel for garnish. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve the sugar and continue to simmer on low until the syrup has reduced to 1 cup. Cool to room temperature and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- To make the cocktail: in a double old fashioned glass, add the whiskey, bourbon and syrup. Add one large square or sphere ice cube and stir well with a cocktail serving spoon. Garnish with an orange peel.
Leave a Reply