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This Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned is the perfect cozy cocktail recipe for November and December nights. Homemade spiced rosemary and honey simple syrup, mixed with warming bourbon, fresh lemon, and orange. Perfect for cold nights and easy to create. Simply mix everything together for a classic cocktail thatโs perfectly spiced, has a bit of sweetness, and is so delicious! Tip? Make a large batch for family and friends to sip on over the holidays.
And the official countdown is on. We have just about a week and a half left from now until Thanksgiving, and surprise, I am excited! Not only am I looking forward to a good meal, but also a little downtime. Itโs been hard to keep up with everything the last few months, but with the holidays here, itโs time to slow down a little and enjoy the magic of the seasonโฆ
Will I listen and take my own advice? Probably not, BUT, I do have the perfect cocktail to slow down and cozy up with. And you know?
Itโs one of my favorites yet.
The simple details.
This one is different because for once, Iโm focusing more on spices and citrus and much less on the fruit. Iโm a fruity cocktail kind of person, but Iโm switching things up. The key to this drink lies within the spiced honey syrup. Itโs a mix of sweet honey and warming spices, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Simmer together with woodsy rosemary in a small saucepan and then finished off with two extra special touchesโฆfresh orange peel and a splash of sweet vanilla.
When shaken up with a couple ounces of bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and a squeeze of fresh orange juice, itโs sweet, spicy, and delicious. Pour over large ice cubes for the best flavors.
Simple to mix up, but oh so GOOD.
As I mentioned, you can also make this into more of a punch for serving guests. If doing so, I would probably recommend doubling the recipe, depending on how many people you plan to serveโฆor if you just know your guests will be back for seconds.
With our family, my guess is that many will be back for seconds. My sister-in-law, whom I just sent the recipe to, said โthis might be my fave drink of yoursโ. Sheโs a tough critic, so that should tell you something about this drink, itโs a good one!
If you wanted to make this drink sparkle even more, Iโd add some candied rosemary. Itโs so simple to make. Just grab some fresh rosemary sprigs, dampen them with water, and cover in granulated sugar. Let the rosemary dry for an hour at room temperature. Now you have pretty, glistening, rosemary thatโs the perfect final touch.
And thatโs pretty much it. Itโs a classic, but with a seasonal twist that makes it even better. This one is perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy guys!!
Looking for other easy bourbon cocktails?? Here are my favorites:ย
Lastly, if you make this Spiced Honey Bourbon 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, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned
Ingredients
Spiced Honey Syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for serving
- 2 cinnamon sticks, (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods , (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Old Fashioned
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) bourbon
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) orange or clementine juice
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) spiced honey syrup
Instructions
- 1. To make the spiced honey syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest and vanilla. Let cool. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks.2. In a cocktail shaker, combine 2-3 tablespoons honey syrup, the bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice, and orange bitters. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Garnish with an orange slice and rosemary, if desired.ย
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned Pitcher
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for serving
- 2 cinnamon sticks , (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods , (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (1 cup) bourbon
- 4 ounce (1/2 cup) lemon juice
- 4 ounce (1/2 cup clementine or orange juice
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- 3-4 ounces (1/4 - 1/2 cup) spiced honey syrup
- 1 blood orange or regular orange, sliced or regular orange, sliced
Instructions
- 1. To make the spiced honey syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest and vanilla. Let cool.ย Remove the rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and ginger. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks.2. In a punch bowl, combine the honey syrup, the bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice, and orange bitters. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice. Garnish with an orange slice and rosemary, if desired.ย
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I wanted to stop and comment on how tasty using the strained syrup herbs for tea was. Just add a little milk of your choice! (I still need to try the whole recipe, but the combo of herbs works like a caffeine-free chai).
Thanks so much, Diana! Such a great idea! Have a wonderful Friday!
I was so excited to try this but must have done something wrong. After letting the syrup cool, it turned into a gummy substance….I strained everything out and heated it a little so that I could mix in with the bourbon etc to shake and same thing….gummed up in the bottom of the shaker….what do you think I did wrong…would love to try again. Was hoping to do a pitcher for Thanksgiving.
Hi there,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, sorry to hear about the syrup. My guess is that it was boiled for too long. Next time, I would set a timer for 1 minute and then pull it from the stove top. I hope this helps! Cheers!
Best drink ever! Next time I will know to make an entire pitcher. Not all of my guests drink bourbon so I assumed this wouldnโt go as quickly. People were holding up their glasses asking for another when sadly it was all gone. There was some seriously extreme disappointment at my get together ๐
Hi Gail! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you loved this cocktail! Love to hear the guests enjoyed it as well! xT
Fantastic!! Got tons of compliments
Hey Sarah,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you! I appreciate you making it and your feedback! xx
Not sure if my previous Q went through, so Iโm resending ๐
Making for this weekend! Can I serve in a pitcher rather than punch bowl? Also, do you recommend freshly squeezed OJ or can i cheat with store bought?
Thanks!
Hey Tara,
Ohh yes, a pitcher is also great to use! And of course, store bought is perfectly fine to use:) I hope you love this recipe! Cheers! xT
Made a giant pitcher of these for NYE for guests. Thought friends would drink more of the cosmos I made but THIS drink was the big hit! The syrup really is the show stopper. Will make these again- they were amazing. (I didnโt have whole ginger on hand so used Trader Joeโs minced ginger cubes and strained the syrup)
Hi Anne,
Happy New Year!๐ฅณ Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear it turned out well for you! xx
For the first time, I decided to make a signature cocktail for Thanksgiving. I would rate this one A++++!!! Everyone loved it. I made the honey spiced syrup 2 days ahead of time, and left off the ginger, and it was perfect. We had several mock-tail people in our group, so we substituted sparkling water for bourbon, and it was delicious. I would definitely make this again; a very fun and festive alternative to the classic Old Fashioned.
Hi Judy,
Amazing! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xx
I don’t have rosemary. What would be good substitute! I have fresh mint, sage, star anise, and thyme๐
*?
Hey Allie,
I woud do thyme. I hope you love this recipe! Cheers! xx
Hi! Can I make this syrup in advance for a party? how long will it keep?
Hi Anastasia,
Totally, you can keep the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Everyone Iโve served this old-fashioned to says it is perfect. I simmer equal parts honey and water to make it similar to a simple syrup. Donโt like my cocktails, too sweet. I wonder why restaurants donโt pick this recipe up.
Hey Matt,
Yay!! Love to hear this cocktail turned out well for you and was enjoyed! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your feedback! Happy Friday! XxT
in the picture there is star anise. but it is not in the recipe?
Hi Pam,
I just used it for photo purposes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xT
What would the exact measurements be for a 2 quart pitcher. We doubled the recipe for 2 drinks and they were fabulous and I donโt drink bourbon.
We have a large crowd (22) coming for Thanksgiving and I know these will be a hit.
Hi Renee,
You can go adjust the serving size in the recipe card and all of the ingredients will adjust for you. I hope this helps!
can you make the syrup ahead of time? how long will it last?
Hey Brittany,
You bet! It will be good for 2 weeks in the fridge. I hope you love this recipe! Cheers! xx
Amazing recipe, in love
Hey there,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it! Happy Monday! xx
I used the recipe for the lunch bowl and it had way too much lime and orange juice. It tasted more like a whiskey smash. Tried it the next night without any citrus juice and then itโs actually like an old fashion.
Hi! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have a wonderful New Year! ๐ xT