Enjoy this tasty Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail this holiday season. It's made with cranberry simple syrup and garnished with an orange peel and fresh cranberries! It's perfect for all your holiday parties.
This delicious cranberry bourbon cocktail is a holiday take on the classic old-fashioned. It's a great drink to enjoy during the holiday season. Cranberries are perfect for this time of year and they pair so well with the bourbon in this beverage. If you still want a festive drink but aren't a fan of bourbon, try my Christmas Moscow Mule recipe instead.
This holiday bourbon cocktail is also known as a cranberry old-fashioned or cranberry bourbon sour. It is made with a mix of cranberry juice, bourbon and homemade cranberry simple syrup. Garnished with fresh cranberries and rosemary for a festive-looking drink. Serve with this Easy Cranberry Baked Brie as an appetizer and Short Rib Ragu when hosting friends!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Quick and easy. There is minimal prep work that goes into making this cocktail. The homemade simple syrup essentially makes itself and once it's done everything just gets poured into a cocktail glass.
- Warming and cozy. 'Tis the season for cozy recipes. The drink is perfect to enjoy on a chilly night while sitting by the fire.
Ingredients
- Simple syrup- the recipe for this is in the recipe card below. You will need water, granulated sugar and fresh or frozen cranberries.
- Bourbon- I used Angel's Envy for this recipe. Another great option is Woodford Reserve.
- Bitters- you will need just 1-2 dashes of bitters for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.
Instructions
This drink is super simple to make!
- Make the cranberry simple syrup. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and heat until the cranberries are softened.
- Pour the ingredients into a cocktail glass filled with ice cubes or a whiskey stone.
- Stir to mix everything together.
- Garnish with an orange peel, cranberries and rosemary.
Recipe FAQs
Bitters are made of flavorless alcohol mixed with aromatic herbs, fruit and roots. The aromatics are typically soaked in alcohol and create a bitter or bittersweet flavor.
Yes! If you don't want to make or don't have time to make the cranberry simple syrup, you can use another ½-1 ounce of cranberry juice.
Use high-quality bourbon for this recipe but not the most expensive one because you will be adding fruit juice and simple syrup. Check out this list of the best bourbons of 2021. Here are some recommendations:
-Angel's Envy
-Woodford Reserve
-Wild Turkey
-Maker's Mark
-Bulleit
Top Tips
- Use a large ice cube in each glass rather than multiple small ones to make it fancier. I recommend this ice cube tray. You can also use whiskey stones.
- A bar spoon is super helpful when making this cranberry old-fashioned.
- The simple syrup will stay good for a couple of weeks in the fridge if stored in a sealed container.
More Holiday Recipes
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🍳Recipe
Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bourbon (I used Angel's Envy)
- 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup, recipe below
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- 4 dashes bitters
- orange peels
- 2 tablespoons cranberries, for garnish
- 2 sprigs rosemary, for garnish
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- In 2 cocktail glasses, add one large ice cube, whiskey stone or 2-3 smaller ice cubes.
- In each glass, pour in 2 ounces of bourbon, ½ ounce of simple syrup, 1 ounce of cranberry juice and 2 dashes of bitters.
- Stir each cocktail with a cocktail spoon. Twist an orange peel over each glass and drop it into the drink. Garnish with 1 tablespoon of cranberries and 1 sprig of rosemary. Serve and enjoy!
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- In a medium saucepan, add all of the simple syrup ingredients. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until cranberries are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Let the syrup cool then drain through a mesh strainer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Use a large ice cube in each glass rather than multiple small ones to make it fancier. I recommend this ice cube tray. You can also use whiskey rocks.
- A bar spoon is super helpful when making this cranberry old-fashioned.
- The simple syrup will stay good for a couple of weeks in the fridge if stored in a sealed container.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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