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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.
Hi! I noticed the pictures of the drink and the spiced honey show anise, but it isn’t listed – is it needed? I figure as garnish is optional, but was I supposed to put it in the honey? I’m testing this out tonight – hopefully going to make a large batch for christmas! I love your drinks!!
Hi Sara,
You can totally use the star anise as a garnish, but it is not needed:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! Cheers! xTieghan
I made these last year for our Christmas Eve gathering and my only mistake…I only made enough for 1 round! I know better this year and am currently making a triple batch of the syrup. Thanks so much for this fun drink.
Hey Jody,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT
This is delicious! I’d call it more of a holiday whiskey sour than an old fashioned, but so flavorful!
Hi Catherine,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Everyone loved this cocktail and asked for the recipe! I did use ground nutmeg instead of cardamom. I also used 1/2 the lemon and 1/2 the syrup when shaking.
Hey Kate,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Just wondering how to store the spiced honey so I can make it ahead of time.
Hey Wendy,
You can keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
A friend of mine made this for a girls weekend and it was fantastic! Making it myself for the first time!
Hey Wendy,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Worth the effort to squeeze your own clementine juice. The spiced honey syrup also makes a wonderful addition to lemon / ginger tea.
Hey there,
Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Just made the syrup and my house smell delicious! Should the syrup be refrigerated?
Hey Tabitha,
Yes, I would store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Tastes amazing. I doubled the recipe for extra syrup. Do you think I need to refrigerate it? Thank you!
Hey Jen,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Yes, I would keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. xTieghan
This recipe is amazing – tested it out before thanksgiving and it’s a keeper! Didn’t have cardamom so I used cloves instead and 10/10
Hey Emily,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Is there anise missing in the recipe? It’s all over the pictures, but I don’t see how it is used in the description..
Hey Andrea,
I just used it as a garnish, totally optional:) I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Very tasty and so “fall”. Love the spiced honey and when I can’t indulge (like work gets in the way), I can add the spiced honey to tea.
Hey Jane,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
This was my first experience with bourbon. What really good recipe!
Hey Debra,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
Can’t wait to try, wonder if I could make the honey syrup the day before or is it best fresh? Trying to schedule my thanksgiving morning accordingly
Hey there! You can make it the day before 🙂 xTieghan
Thanks I assume I would keep the syrup out and not put in the fridge right?
I would keep it in the fridge:)
So delicious!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xxTieghan
Can you use powdered ginger in the recipe if we don’t have fresh ginger on hand?
Yes! xTieghan