Spiced Cranberry Old Fashioned

Easy for home bartenders of all skill levels: An old fashioned is a sophisticated and elegant classic cocktail, so it might seem intimidating to make. But you’ll see the process couldn’t be easier, and this spiced cranberry old fashioned will make you look like an expert mixologist to all your friends and family.

Make-ahead and bulk mixing options: If you’re hosting a holiday party, you want to sit back and relax, not play bartender all night. I included a make-ahead option as well as a method for batching several cocktails at a time to ensure easy entertaining.

Bonus: If you love this Christmas old fashioned, make sure you also try my spiced cranberry bourbon sour! My gingerbread old fashioned and peanut butter old fashioned are also wonderful options.

Spiced cranberry simple syrup: Rather than the traditional sugar cube, we sweeten our drink with a spiced cranberry syrup. To make this syrup, you’ll need fresh cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon sticks, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and fresh orange zest.

Orange bitters: I’m a sucker for the classic cranberry-orange flavor combination, so I couldn’t resist adding more bright citrus. That said, you could substitute the orange for spiced bitters, like a ginger or cardamom variety, or you could go with the classic angostura bitters.

Optional garnishes: I love to give this drink a pretty touch with candied rosemary and cranberries. To make these, simply brush the cranberries and a sprig of rosemary with plain simple syrup, generously sprinkle with sugar and allow to fully dry on a wire rack. An orange twist is also a nice touch.

Step 2: When the mixture comes to a boil, we reduce the heat and allow it to simmer. After 10 minutes, we turn off the heat and let the spices steep (photo 2).

Step 3: Now we place a bowl under a fine-mesh sieve in the sink and strain the mixture (photo 3). What's left in the bowl is our syrup. As long as we store it in a sterile, airtight container in the refrigerator, it should last for several weeks. And just like that, we're ready to start on our cranberry old fashioned cocktail.

Step 2: For a perfectly chilled old fashioned, we drop in our ice, preferably one large ice cube, and give the bourbon mixture a good stir with a bar spoon to add a little dilution (photo 7). About 15-20 stirs does the trick.

Step 3: All that’s left is to garnish! I like to twist an orange peel over the glass to catch those fragrant oils and then add sugared cranberries and candied rosemary for a pretty wintry touch.

Now sit back, enjoy this festive time of year and sip away on this delicious holiday bourbon cocktail.

Recipe FAQs

Expert Tips

Adjust to suit your taste: An old fashioned isn't overly sweet, so we don't use very much cranberry simple syrup. That said, if you'd like more spiced-cranberry flavor, you can always add a smidge more syrup.

Get the right supplies: When making one old fashioned at a time, prepare it directly in the rocks glass. If you’d like to prepare multiple old fashioned cocktails at a time, however, a mixing glass is traditional, or you could even use a pitcher if you’re serving a large crowd.

Use one big ice cube: You can use regular ice cubes if you don’t have a large-ice mold, but you’ll get a bit more dilution. If you love making an old fashioned at home, I think it’s well worth the small investment, and you can get them on Amazon.

Plan ahead for preparing garnishes: If you plan to garnish with the sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary, prepare them at least an hour ahead of time to give them time to dry.

Perfect Pairing

If you're enjoying this spiced cranberry cocktail as a before-dinner drink, you'll love it with my holiday pretzel bites stuffed with Brie and cranberry sauce. Brie and bourbon pair beautifully as the cheese's big, creamy body stands up well to the bold liquor, and its mild flavor complements the bourbon's sweet notes perfectly.

That said, if you'd like to drink this cranberry bourbon cocktail with dinner, you can't go wrong with my Christmas roast duck. This holiday duck is served with a cranberry-orange glaze to mimic our signature fruit's flavor, and that rich, bold duck meat can match the intensity of the bourbon.

For a festive holiday whiskey cocktail, I hope you try this spiced cranberry old fashioned. You will love every delicious sip.

Cheers!

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