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This Christmas Old Fashioned is the perfect cozy cocktail to settle into long holiday nights. Homemade cardamom infused maple syrup, mixed with warming bourbon, lemon, orange, and bitters. Make it fizzy with a splash of ginger beer to top off each drink. Perfect for cold nights by a cozy fire.
The very last Christmas cocktail of 2021! I’ll probably post one more drink for New Years, but today’s the last Christmas drink.
This old fashioned is made for my brother, Brendan. It really is a combo of all of his favorite flavors – and bourbon is his preferred alcohol of choice. He arrives for Christmas today, so I can’t wait to welcome him with a drink I know he’ll love.
It’s a little different, and so delicious.
You can make it extra fancy with a spicy sweet rim and sugared cranberries on top, or keep is simple. Either way it’s going to be well loved by all.
The details
I wanted to infuse the drink with cardamom and maple, so I made a quick spicy syrup. I used real maple syrup, cardamom, and cinnamon.
The spiced maple makes enough for about six drinks, so make this when you have five extra minutes. You’ll then have it all ready to go when people unexpectedly come a knockin.
The drink itself is mixed simply in a rocks glass with fresh squeezed lemon, orange juice, bourbon, and then I love to top each glass off with ginger beer. Yes, it’s not a traditional old fashioned. This is a Christmas old fashion, so it is special.
Make it Special
The sweet rim isn’t a must, but it sure is delicious. A mix of coarse sugar, regular sugar, and cayenne really makes this old fashioned sparkle and feel festive.
Sugared cranberries can be added too, which I love. But again the extras are all up to you!
Just make enough cocktails to go around at least once, and enjoy the season with family and friends.
Looking for other Christmas drinks? Here are my favorites:Â
Lastly, if you make this Christmas Old Fashioned, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Christmas Old Fashioned
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 1121 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Maple Cardamon Syrup
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, lightly crushed (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom)
Old Fashioned
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) bourbon
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) orange juice
- 1-3 tablespoons maple cardamon syrup (ingredients listed above)
- 1-2 dashes bitters
- ginger beer, for topping (optional)
- orange zest and sugared cranberries, for garnish
Instructions
- 1. To make the maple cardamon syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/4 cup water, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let cool. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks.If desired, rim your glass (see note). 2. In a rocks glass, gently stir together the bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice, bitters, and 1-3 tablespoons cardamon syrup. Add ice and top off with ginger beer. Garnish with cranberries and an orange slice, if desired.Â
SUGARED CRANBERRIES
- 1. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups fresh cranberries with 1/2 cup pure maple syrup. Let sit 10-15 minutes. Strain the cranberries, then add them to a parchment lined baking sheet.2. Toss the cranberries with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until all the cranberries are coated. Allow the cranberries to dry, in a single layer, for at least one hour.
Notes
Spicy Sweet Rim: On a small plate, mix 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and a pinch of cayenne. Run a lemon wedge around the rim of your glass and dip into the sugar mix.
Maple Cardamon Old Fashioned Pitcher
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 304 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, lightly crushed (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom)
- 8 ounces (1 cup) bourbon
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) lemon juice
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) orange juice
- 3-4 dashes bitters
- 1/3-1/2 cup maple cardamom syrup (ingredients listed in recipe above)
- 3-4 (12 ounce) cans ginger beer
Instructions
- 1. To make the maple cardamon syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/4 cup water, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let cool. 2. In a pitcher, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice, bitters, and cardamon syrup. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice, then top off ginger beer. Garnish with an orange slice, if desired.Â
This is delicious! I love Old Fashioneds and bourbon, but prefer a cocktail with some juice and sweetness and this is a great combination. I thought the ginger beer topper sounded odd, but it was a wonderful addition. Make sure you buy a quality ginger beer and use it as described. My two other bourbon lovers, who shared this drink with me on Christmas Eve, also raved and asked for seconds. Will be making this again – in fact, I already did. I used up the leftover syrup for a cocktail on New Year’s Eve. Tieghan, you spiced up my holiday. Thank you.
Hey Carol,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best weekend! xT
My daughter made these at Christmas. They were yummy! Lovely flavors, the rim was a treat and it was refreshing.
Hey Holly,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
I’ve been making this recipe for all our holiday celebrations this year and everyone loves it! I don’t care that it’s not a traditional old fashioned and no one else does either. It’s delicious, thanks for sharing and Happy New Year!
Hey Janelle,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Mixture crystallized in bottle and got thick. How do you prevent this? Tasted really good.
Hi Margaret,
So sorry to hear this! Sounds like it might have been overcooked. xTieghan
Yummy cocktail…a big hit with all. Used Maple syrup with cardommom and cinnamon stick and mixed with the saved simple syrup (with orange) from sugared cranberries. Added bourbon, juice of 3 lemons, and topped with ginger ale. So good! Thanks for this recipe.
Hi Lisa,
Fantastic! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. xTieghan
Lovely Christmas cocktail. Skipped the ginger beer.
Hi Shannon,
Fantastic! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. xTieghan
Love the recipe! Just wondering how long the syrup stays good for? I’m assuming any extra should be kept in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hi Julianna,
Yes, I would keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Great recipe! What type of pots do you use to make the Maple Cardamon syrup? I’ve watched your instagram tutorials and love them.
Hi Jennifer,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! If it’s the copper pots, those are vintage:) Happy Holidays! xT
Love the glass where did you find that !
?
Hi Dina,
These are from Anthropologie but sold out unfortunately. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this for Christmas Eve and it was a hit! My mom even had one and doesn’t like bourbon! Definitely will make again and again!
Merry Christmas!
Hi Darcie,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xT
Just tried this tonight with my hubby after we got our kiddos to bed! So so good!
Hi there,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
Delicious cocktail! I made this, and also your fried brussels sprouts today for xmas dinner and BOTH of them were absolutely gobbled up. In fact, mid-afternoon, I had to make a second *double batch* of cocktail syrup because everyone was so sad that we’d consumed all of it. :-). I used star anise, cardamom (not pods), and cinnamon sticks, and then added some grated orange zest after taking the syrup off the heat. We used fresh lemon and fresh orange juice. They were to die for, as were the brussels sprouts! How many dinners do you make where you have leftover mashed potatoes and no leftover brussels sprouts! Thank you so much for all of your fabulous recipes, Teighan. <3
Hi Renee,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
This drink is incredible. It is my new favorite drink. This has pushed my old favorite cocktail (a top-shelf Bee’s Knees) to a distant second place.
If you make this recipe with fresh oranges and fresh lemons, it will absolutely blow you away. I tried one with bottled orange juice (the good stuff, not-from-concentrate) and no. Just don’t.
I couldn’t find whole cardamom pods locally, so I used ground from Penzey’s. I just decanted the syrup out of the tiny saucepan, leaving about a tablespoon of syrup at the bottom with all the gritty grounds. It still tasted amazing, so I’m not going to go out of my way to find whole pods.
I couldn’t find any cardamom bitters, so we did a taste test with the six varieties of bitters I had on hand. Angostura was the unanimous favorite, but everyone thought the Woodford Reserve orange bitters were good, too.
Hey there,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. Merry Christmas!?? xT
I know you said the glasses are sold out but where were they from?
Hi Dawn,
They are from Anthropologie:) xT
The cranberries aren’t mentioned in the instructions. They are just added at the end as a garnish?
Hi Lala,
Yes, they are listed in step 2. Please let me know if you have any other questions, cheers! xTieghan
Hello! I have a quick follow up question re. the cranberries. Let them sit in maple syrup for 10-15 minutes…then place on parchment paper for how long before tossing in sugar?! Or toss in sugar right away and to parchment paper?! Would you mind holding my hand a bit more on this step, haha?! Thank you!
Hi Megan,
You can toss them right after you pull them out:) I hope you love the recipe! xT