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This Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned is the perfect cozy cocktail for November and December nights. Homemade spiced rosemary and honey simple syrup, mixed with warming bourbon, lemon, and orange. Perfect for cold nights and easy to create. Simply mix everything together for a cocktail that’s perfectly sweetened, spiced, and so delicious! Tip? Make a large batch to serve to family and friends 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. It’s been hard to keep up with everything the last few months, but with the holidays here, it’s time to slow down a little and enjoy the magic of the season…
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?
It’s one of my favorites yet.
The simple details.
This one is different because for once, I’m focusing more on spices and citrus and much less on the fruit. I’m a fruity cocktail kind of person, but I’m switching things up. The key to this drink lies within the spiced honey syrup. It’s a mix of sweet honey and warming spices, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. All simmered together with woodsy rosemary and then finished off with two extra special touches…fresh orange zest and a splash of sweet vanilla.
When shaken up with bourbon, lemon, and a squeeze of fresh orange juice, it’s sweet, spicy, and delicious
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 serve…or 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 “this might be my fave drink of yours”. She’s a tough critic, so that should tell you something about this drink, it’s a good one!
If you wanted to make this drink sparkle even more, I’d add some candied rosemary. It’s 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 that’s the perfect final touch.
And that’s pretty much it. It’s 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:
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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 1616 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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.
Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned Pitcher
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 437 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 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. 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.
Soooo good! I’ll be making this again!
Thank you so much Anne! xTieghan
In the picture there is a star anise in the glass and I don’t see it in the recipe. Was it just a garnish or am I missing it? Thanks!!
Hey Sarah,
I just used the star anise as garnish, but it is not required for the recipe! I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
So yummy! We cut the recipe in half, since it was just the two of us. We each got a large pour! Very fun to try something new. We did accidentally zest the orange, when I think we were supposed to add orange peel, but no worries.
Love that! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Meghan! Thank you! xTieghan
Made these for Thanksgiving and the were amazing!
As written the recipe is a three because the honey is SO thick it sticks to the side of my shaker and does not mix in at all. I added a quarter cup of water to the honey mix and reheated it to combine. The honey then mixed well with the remaining ingredients and did not stay stuck inside my shaker. For my own personal preference I found the lemon too much, so cut it down to 1/2 a tbsp.
With the water added to the honey, and the adjustment to the lemon(personal preference) we found this an amazing thanksgiving drink. I will definitely make this recipe again!
Thank you so much Christine!! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Perfect holiday cocktail!
Amazing! Thank you Carrie! xTieghan
This is SO yum! Heart and soul warming. I bungled up the recipe a bit on the first go and put the zest in with the boil – no sweat, with a bit of zest garnish I fixed that problem. Tip: the spices smell SO good I didn’t want the smell to end, so I threw the drained off spices into a pot with just water and turned it to boil: it filled the kitchen with such a lovely smell – no diffuser or candle needed!
Love that! Thank you so much Jody! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Hope your family had a great Thanksgiving! Sipping this yummy drink as I type. I let the star anise steep in the syrup. Love this cocktail! Thanks!
Thank you so much Carla! xTieghan
This was so so good! I don’t normally like old fashioneds but this blew me away! I used rye instead of bourbon and it turned out spectacular. Thanks Tieghan! Keep them coming!
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Rachel! Thank you! xTieghan
This was so good! It made for the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Thank you so much Calley! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is delicious, made for Thanksgiving for just myself and husband. Used bourbon and tried with brandy as well. Not too much like a traditional old fashioned like some say but who cares it’s tasty!
Love that! Thank you so much Alison!! xTieghan
I hate bourbon and I love this cocktail!! Couldn’t find cardamom on thanksgiving eve but it’s still delicious. Perfect for a cold quiet night in front of the fire 🙂
I am so happy you have been loving this one, Joelle! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi! Have you tried this with maple syrup instead? Curious as to how it would taste!
Hey Jenn,
I haven’t but you certainly could. I hope you love the recipe, Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi. How long does the honey syrup keep? And do you leave it in the refrigerator or on the counter?
Hey Hailey,
You could keep this in the fridge for a few weeks. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe is a keeper! I loved it and all of our guests loved it!
Thank you so much Mimi! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan