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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 that’s 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. 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. Simmer together with woodsy rosemary in a small saucepan and then finished off with two extra special touches…fresh 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, it’s 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 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
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.
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. 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.
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.
Really looking forward to making this. Curious if this recipe refers to green or black cardamom.
Thanks,
Hey Alex! It refers to black! Enjoy 🙂 xTieghan
I made in a pitcher. 4 cups of a small batch bourbon. I tripled the syrup recipe and added star anise to the cooking syrup. So maybe a little sweeter than recipe calls for but it tastes good. I garnished with one start anise and a 1/2 of a candied orange slice from Trader Joe. Potent. Gooood.
Hi there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 xTieghan
Just made this for the first time. My husband and I are enjoying it on the deck of our rental in Stowe Vermont. Just perfect for a cool, crisp fall evening – cheers!
I made this old fashioned several times last holiday season, a favorite.
Hi Shelli,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner. Thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
The picture shows Anise pods, not cardamom. Am I missing something or was there a misprint? I want to make sure I make this correct!
Hey Jason,
I just used the anise as a garnish, you can follow the recipe as is. Please let me know if you give it a try, cheers! xTieghan
Another fantastic cocktail! Made this for friends and all 6 of us loved this drink! I even found the start anise Which make the drink look super cool! I have definitely upped my bartending game following you!
Hey Gail,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made a double batch of these for NYE and it was a huge hit! Loved it so much.
Hey Melanie,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Mine turned out to be a little thick…maybe the organic honey. Similar to apple sauce haha. Delicious though!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Do you post anywhere where you get your drinking glasses from?! They are always so nice looking!
Hey Cassy,
You can always ask, I am happy to share! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This profiled more like a whiskey sour. The syrup was tasty but the lemon juice overpowered everything. I made it without the lemon and it was more old fashioned.
Hey Jeff,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry you did not enjoy let me know if there is anything I can help with. Happy New Year! xTieghan
Wonderful recipe! My husband loves a good old fashioned but they are a little intense for me. This was the perfect balance with the bourbon and mild sweetness. We garnished with star anise and a cinnamon stick (per your pictures) and they added such a beautiful flavor. I would highly recommend it!
Hey Nikkan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made this pitcher style for Xmas and it disappeared on me so fast…doubled the recipe and still almost missed out on my 2nd drink! Great combination of flavors and solid as written but for me I was still craving more ginger (and I already 2x the amount called for in the recipe) and could have done with a little less Rosemary. I’ll try this again with half the Rosemary and 4x the amount of ginger (I really like a spicy kick!). Also I used fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice and it was a little too acidic…I topped each drink off with a little club soda which helped to balance that out…but in the future I might go 3/4 cup orange to 1/4 cup lemon or even all orange juice.
Hey Beata,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Absolutely loveeee this cocktail! And so has everyone that I’ve made one for! It’s a little bit of work getting all of the oranges and lemons juiced and the simple syrup made, but it is well worth the effort. I plan to continue to make it for loved ones this holiday season!
Hey Emily,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you use whiskey in this drink instead of bourbon?? thanks!
Hey Jamie,
Yes, that would work nicely. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This is a great variation of an old fashioned,
Thanks so much Ken! xTieghan