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Celebrate the festive season with this Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour – the perfect simple and cozy winter cocktail. Warming bourbon, shaken together with fresh squeezed lemon, real maple syrup, vanilla bean, and just the right amount of sweet cinnamon. A festive and delicious holiday cocktail. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties with family and friends. Enjoy this with bourbon or create my mocktail variation. You can also make a big batch to serve up to a crowd! I have directions for it all!
I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m LOVING and having so much fun with this year’s holiday cocktails. The drinks I’ve shared so far have been some of my favorite recipes to create.
I love them all so much. And I have to say, I’ve enjoyed testing the mocktail variations too. If you follow often, you know that I’m a one-sip-and-done kind of drinker. The mocktails have been great to enjoy with Asher too!
I’m so excited for today’s drink. It might just be my simplest cocktail yet, and one of my favorites for sure. My family loves it too, they love a bourbon cocktail.
The idea
Came from my brother’s girlfriend Cait. I sent her three drink options. She picked this in a matter of seconds and said it sounded so delicious.
To be honest, this was the drink I was the least excited about. I was not going to make it at all. But I’m so happy I asked Cait, it turned out so great!
The details
This one really could not be easier. There’s not one fancy ingredient and you don’t have to cook a single thing. Simply mix, shake, pour, and enjoy!
Mix the bourbon with lemon, then add maple, a dash of real vanilla extract, and a small pinch of cinnamon. Shake it up and pour over ice.
To make the drink extra pretty.
Use a smoking cinnamon stick and candied rosemary. It’s delicious and so pretty. I love the way it sparkles.
The candied rosemary is so simple to make. Just grab some fresh rosemary sprigs, dampen them with water, and cover them in vanilla sugar. Let the rosemary dry for an hour at room temperature. Now you have pretty, glistening rosemary that’s the perfect final touch to this whiskey sour.
I know this will be on repeat at my house once family arrives for the holidays. It’s simple and has everything they like in a holiday cocktail.
Looking for other easy holiday drinks? Here are my favorites:
The Spicy Sweet Grinch Cocktail
Lastly, if you make this Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour, 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!
Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 192 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) bourbon
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 dash vanilla extract (I do 1/4 teaspoon-ish)
- 1 pinch cinnamon (I do 1/8 teaspoon-ish)
- cinnamon stick and rosemary, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, maple, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. 2. Garnish with vanilla rosemary (recipe in notes) and cinnamon. If desired light the cinnamon on fire for a smoky effect.
Vanilla Sugared Rosemary
- 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean seeds. 2. Gently run rosemary sprigs under a little water to dampen and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rosemary with vanilla 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.
Notes
To Make a Mocktail: omit the bourbon and use 2 ounces apple cider.
Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour Punch
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 192 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups bourbon
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup maple syrup, more or less to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, more or less to taste
- cinnamon sticks and vanilla rosemary, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a punch bowl, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, maple, vanilla, and cinnamon. 2. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add ice. Serve with cinnamon and sugared rosemary (recipe above).
Notes
To Make a Mocktail: omit the bourbon and use 2 cups apple cider.
This was SO good. I had all the ingredients on hand! It was simple and easy to put together. I used a homemade vanilla extract made from bourbon. Everyone loved this drink! Definitely will make again.
Hey Susie-Bryn,
Fantastic!! 🌴🍌 I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Just made this on a cold, damp spring Saturday afternoon because we had all the ingredients and wanted something to warm us up…this is so good! It definitely tastes like apple cider, but not sickingly sweet like some can be…we will definitely be adding this to our fall/winter (and cold spring days!) drink rotation! Super easy to make with staple ingredients, too.
Hey Rachel,
Happy Sunday!!☀️🧁 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Absolutely delicious!!! Added to my permanent rotation.
Hey Sara,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Do you think this cocktail would work with Irish whiskey?
Hey Lorena,
Hmmmm, I’m not sure I would recommend that for this recipe! Let me know if you give it a try! xT
I love this drink! As much is I enjoy making the fun cocktail syrups, it’s great to have a delicious “go to” you can whip up on the spot. This is such a great balance of flavors.
Hey Rachel,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)
Perfection.
Thanks so much Brittany!!
I followed the instructions for 20 servings (needed to serve a lot of people). Used fresh-squeezed lemons – called for 2.5 cups and I made 2. It was a little too sour so I should have tasted it after about 1.5 cups. All in all, it still turned out pretty good.
Hi David,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Your description calls for fresh-squeezed lemon juice but the link is to bottled juice – usually the scale is different for bottled vs fresh-squeezed – which method did you use?
Hey David,
I like to use fresh squeezed lemon juice! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Why does this taste like apple cider?? So good and the best part is that it’s so simple and easy to put together with things you already have. We will be making this every Christmas!
Hey Ria,
Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
I am SO excited to try this recipe for this year’s Christmas cocktail! I’ll post again with feedback after indulging. Also, I just wanted to take a minute to compliment you on your amazing photography skills. It truly makes me want to try every single one of your enticing recipes! And finally, any chance you could share where you acquired these fantastic glasses you used for this cocktail? I love the look of these very much! Thanks so much, and Merry Christmas to you. Cheers!
Hey Scotty,
Thanks so much for your kind message! I hope you love this recipe!!
Here’s the link for the glasses:
https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=946122659&pid=uid3696-43323264-41&aid=45496900&utm_content=productwidget%3A63816b742d0ba511edc44c84&utm_medium=referral
Cheers! xT
Yay!!! Thank you so much, and Merry Christmas to you!
Highly recommend adding 1 quart of apple cider . This punch makes like 3 drinks, maybe.
Thanks for sharing your feedback Yasi. Just an FYI, this is not a large glass drink, it’s meant to be sipped slowly so you serve less than a traditional cocktail:) x
This cocktail is my new favorite! Brilliant!
Hey Peri,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️
Sooooo good! The perfect holiday cocktail. And it was so easy. Will definitely make again for family!
Hey Jenna,
Happy Monday!!☃️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was enjoyed! xT
This is an amazing cocktail. Very festive holiday drink. I have already made it numerous times.
Hey Suzanne,
Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
I made this with what I had on hand which was JD Honey Whiskey and it turned out soooo good! Another wonderful recipe. I’ll be making a larger batch for a Christmas party next weekend! Thank you! ❤️
-Could you possibly link the glasses that you used for this drink?
Merry Christmas!🌲
Hey Hope,
Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Here is the link for the glasses:
https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=946122659&pid=uid3696-43323264-41&aid=45496900&utm_content=productwidget%3A63816b742d0ba511edc44c84&utm_medium=referral
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT