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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.
I think this actually a very delicious whiskey sour (without the egg white) instead of an old fashioned! Excellent recipe
Hey Ragan,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
Delicious! Tastes like fall!! Tested it last week as single servings and plan on making the batch today for my Thanksgiving guests! Thank you for sharing!
Hey Jen,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Hi! Just made the syrup! Sooo delicious! Can I make the whole pitcher today to serve tomorrow?
Hey Noreen,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! Cheers! xT
Do you drain the solids from the syrup before storing or leave everything in?
I did. Looks clean…no loose rosemary leaves behind
Hey Jeremy,
Nope, you can leave them:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!! xT
Guests went nuts! Had to make a second pitcher!!
Hey Noreen,
Happy Sunday!!⛄️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xxT
It did turn out amazing. Literally mouths dropped! I made another batch for holiday friends lunch yesterday and they couldn’t stop talking about it! Your cocktails are crazy delicious!
Hey Noreen,
Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This recipe is SO yummy! We’ve made it the past couple years now. Could the pitcher of it be made the day before or is it best day of?
Thank you!
Hey Claire,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! You could make it the day before. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
The flavors are great, I would struggle to call it an old fashioned. Only thing that makes it an old fashioned, is the bourbon and bitters. There way to many ingredients. Does not need the extra citrus. Just keep it simple: bourbon, syrup & bitters.
Thanks for sharing your feedback Leah:)
So you’re rating it poorly because of the name. “Oh, it tastes good but I don’t like the name…”. Give me a break. Also, clearly you’ve never had a Wisconsin Old Fashioned with orange, cherries and bitters as the foundation with Brandy.
This is amazing! I turn this into a cocktail kit to give as a Christmas gift for friends.
Hey Jill,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
Made this for Friendsgiving and it was a huge hit- super yummy and really is to make ahead as a punch bowl style for a large group!
Hey Claire,
Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the recipe! I am going to make these for an event this upcoming weekend. However, I notice star anise in all the photos but not in the recipe itself. Do I use the stars in the spice honey syrup? If so how many for a pitcher?
Thank you,
Dave
Hi Dave,
If you want to add a star anise pod or two to the syrup go for it, but totally not necessary:) I hope you love the recipe! Cheers! xTieghan
My husband and I made these for Thanksgiving last year. We LOVED them. We definitely doubled the recipe for family and friends. This year we may triple it. Delicious and Thank You!
Can I ask you what are the brown star looking items on the table next to the glass? I didn’t know what they were last year, did a lot of searching but could not find without a name…….
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for trying this recipe! Those are star anise:) Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xT
I love making all of your bourbon cocktails, and this is the GREATEST one ever! The syrup is absolutely incredible. 10000/10!
Hey Hannah,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Love this drink! I made for a girls party and everyone couldn’t get enough!! I used nutmeg instead of cardamom because I didn’t have any.
Hi Kate,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Love this!! Big of of old fashioned so this was a nice treat
https://www.dropbox.com/s/969ngnavgz4y39e/IMG_4095.heic?dl=0
Hey Shea,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
I made this tonight for christmas, i used star anise and cloves in the syrup as well and skipped the vanilla it was very nice!
Hi Wessel,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!?? xTieghan
Hi! Does the syrup have to be refrigerated if made in advance?
Hi Lindsey,
Yes, it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xTieghan