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This Cranberry-Orange Old-Fashioned puts a festive spin on the classic whiskey cocktail with a homemade cranberry-orange syrup, aromatic bitters, and a flamed orange peel. Bourbon’s caramel and vanilla notes pair beautifully with tart cranberry and bright citrus. It’s a sophisticated, sip-worthy drink for the holidays that comes together in minutes once the syrup is made.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye whiskey
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) cranberry-orange syrup (recipe below)
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • 1 large ice cube or sphere
  • 1 wide strip orange peel, for garnish
  • 3 fresh or sugared cranberries and 1 cinnamon stick, for garnish
  • 1 cup (100 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, for the syrup
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water, for the syrup
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, for the syrup
  • Peel of 1 orange (in wide strips), for the syrup
  • 1 cinnamon stick, for the syrup

Instructions

  1. Make the syrup: Combine the cranberries, water, sugar, orange peel, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Simmer: Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the cranberries burst.
  3. Strain and cool: Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently on the berries. Cool completely and store in the fridge.
  4. Build the drink: In a rocks glass, combine the bourbon, 1/2 ounce of cranberry-orange syrup, Angostura bitters, and orange bitters.
  5. Add ice: Add a large ice cube and stir for 20-30 seconds until well chilled.
  6. Express the peel: Hold the orange peel skin-side down over the glass and squeeze to release the oils. For flair, flame it briefly with a lit match, then rub the peel around the rim.
  7. Garnish: Drop the peel into the drink and add the cranberries and a cinnamon stick.
  8. Serve: Serve immediately.

Notes

  • The syrup makes about 1 1/4 cups, enough for 8-10 cocktails. It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • Use a large ice cube so the drink stays cold without diluting too quickly.
  • Bourbon gives a sweeter, rounder flavor, while rye adds a spicy, drier edge.
  • Use unsweetened cranberries for the syrup and adjust the sugar if you like a tarter drink.
  • Batch for a party: mix 16 oz whiskey, 4 oz syrup, 16 dashes Angostura, and 8 dashes orange bitters in a bottle, add 3 oz water, and chill. Pour over ice to serve.
  • Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thefamilycooking.com/cranberry-orange-old-fashioned/