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Celebrate the season with this Cinnamon Bourbon Fizz – the perfect cozy winter cocktail. Homemade cinnamon honey syrup, mixed with warming bourbon, lemon, and bitters, then topped off with bubbly water. Made extra sweet and special with Aperol, for a festive and delicious holiday cocktail. Perfect for upcoming Christmas parties with family and friends…or on a cold night in with a loved one.
The first official Christmas drink! Well, I mean, I’ve basically been sharing them since the beginning of November. But with Christmas now in full swing, I can really go all out!
Funnily, I shot this back in early November. It turned out so Christmasy that I saved it for today! So I’m very eager to share this recipe!
The idea
Came from my brother’s girlfriend Cait. She had this drink at a Mexican restaurant in San Diego, sent me a photo, and said I had to recreate it.
It sounded really fun, different, and delicious, so I was all in.
The details
The cinnamon syrup is key here…honey, cinnamon, and rosemary all simmered together. Nothing complicated, just the warming holiday flavors we all love.
The drink is simply bourbon and Aperol shaken together. It’s what sold me on this drink. The Aperol gives the bourbon a special touch with its sweetness, hints of orange, and vanilla. Such a unique, but delicious combination!
It’s something you don’t often get but is truly the perfect pairing…especially with some cinnamon mixed in. Top the drink off with sparkling water for a little fizziness. Tis’ holiday cocktail perfection and always a hit!
Happy holiday season guys!!
Looking for other easy Christmas cocktails?? Here are my favorites:
Lastly, if you make this Cinnamon Bourbon Fizz, 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!
Cinnamon Bourbon Fizz
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 1119 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Honey Syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Bourbon Fizz
- 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) bourbon
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) aperol
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
- 1-2 dashes orange or rosemary bitters
- 1 -2 ounces cinnamon syrup (recipe below)
- sparkling water, for topping
Instructions
- 1. To make the cinnamon syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, cinnamon, and rosemary to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let cool, then strain the syrup into a glass jar. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks.2. In a cocktail shaker, combine 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon syrup, the bourbon, aperol, lemon juice, and bitters. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Top off with sparkling water. Garnish with sugared rosemary.
Sugared Rosemary
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently run rosemary sprigs under a little water to dampen and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rosemary with granulated sugar on all sides, making sure the rosemary is thoroughly coated in sugar. Allow to dry on the baking sheet for 1 hour. The rosemary can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.
Cinnamon Bourbon Fizz Punch
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 276 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 honey
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 1/2 cups bourbon
- 1 cup aperol
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3-5 dashes orange or rosemary bitters
- cinnamon syrup
- 3-4 cans sparkling water, for topping
Instructions
- 1. To make the cinnamon syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, cinnamon, and rosemary to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let cool, then strain the syrup into a glass jar. 2. In a punch bowl, combine the cinnamon syrup, bourbon, Aperol, lemon juice, and orange or rosemary bitters. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add ice, then pour the sparkling waters over. Serve with sugared rosemary (recipe above).
Hi Tieghan, Looks delicious. How much of the cinnamon syrup do you use for the punch recipe? I don’t see an amount in the recipe. Cheers!
Hey Shannon,
You are going to use all of the cinnamon syrup for the punch recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try, cheers! xTieghan
Can the syrup be stored at room temp or in the refrigerator?
Hey Melissa,
You will want to store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I hope you enjoy the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
What is Aperol?
Hey Kathy,
Aperol is an Italian bitters, you should be able to find it at your local liquor store. Please let me know if you have any other questions, cheers! xTieghan
Didn’t have plain seltzer, used lemon seltzer instead. Mmmm… mmm… good. Have tried several of your recipes with excellent results. Keep up the great work!
Hey Deb,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Planning to serve this at Christmas. Sounds amazing! What ratio do you suggest for punch to sparkling water?
Hey Leslie,
You will want to use 3-4 cans of sparkling water for the punch. I hope you enjoy this recipe, cheers! xTieghan
My sweetie just made me this fabulous cocktail and I have to say it is so good. We usually have an old-fashioned for a night cap, but this is going to be our new go-to.
Hey Katalina,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
I try to make a pitcher of something festive for our Christmas Eve party, so adults can serve themselves while I work on hostess duties. Do you think I could adjust the recipe to make a pitcher of these? Thanks for your advice.
Do you think prosecco in place of sparkling water would make this recipe too sweet?
Hi Katy,
I do think it might be a little much, but you could certainly give it a try! I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Hi Susan,
You bet, just follow the pitcher instructions listed above. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Did not see the pitcher measures. Thank you! Will try it on Christmas Eve and let you know.
Made this tonight and it’s delicious. The honey was kinda unusual, but fits in perfectly. Will make it again. Thank you.
Hey Sandra,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
We made this cocktail today to drink while we decorate for Christmas and holy moly. It is one of the best cocktails we have ever had!! Definitely will be a remake for us!
Hey Kayla,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Any thoughts on how to make this a mocktail? Pregnant and missing all of the fun winter cocktails ☺️
Hey Jordan,
I would just skip the bourbon and use some sparkling water or ginger beer. I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
I just made this and it is very special, thank you! I didn’t make the sugared rosemary, but put a sprig in each drink. I gave it a smack between my hands to activate the aromatics before sticking the rosemary in as garnish. It adds a nice touch.
Hi Nicole,
Happy Sunday! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Do you think this recipe might work with a different choice in liquor? I don’t love bourbon but this sounds amazing!
Rum would work equally well.
Hey Aimee,
Totally, it would really work with anything that you enjoy, I think gin or vodka would work well. I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Tiegan, are you familiar with Amaro? It is an Italian bittersweet appertif. I’m wondering if I could use it in this recipe in place of the aperol or the bitters?
Hey Meg,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Cheers! xTieghan
What flavor sparkling water do you recommend topping this cocktail off with?
Hi Ashley,
I would use unflavored sparkling water. I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
How much sparkling water? The recipe just says “3-4”. What’s the unit?
Hey Adam,
So sorry for any confusion, for a single serving just use a splash, for the punch you will want to you 3-4 cans. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, cheers! xTieghan
Curious if you think this would work as big batch cocktails for a party. Served in a punch bowl perhaps? I love hands off booze serving 🙂
Hey Katy,
You bet, just follow the instructions for the cinnamon bourbon fizz punch. I hope you love the recipe. Cheers! xTieghan