A boozy but classic bourbon cocktail, this traditional mix of spirits and crushed fruit reminds us that no holiday season is complete without a Thanksgiving old fashioned. In this old fashioned cocktail recipe, the warmth of cozy holiday spice hugs you back with a dash of added pumpkin spice syrup. The syrup lends a festive seasonal twist that amplifies the flavor in this most celebrated drink just in time for Turkey Day.
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You can stir up this easy Thanksgiving bourbon cocktail with a bar spoon and some cocktail ice in a matter of minutes. Large cubes of ice will melt slowly into the bourbon reducing dilution while opening up the flavors, making them even better as they sit. It’s the perfect holiday cocktail loaded with layers of fruit and spice that will please all you bourbon lovers out there.
Cranberry Orange Cocktail Ice makes an elegant touch for holiday drinks
To make this seasonal drink pop with bold fruity color, pour water into large cocktail ice cube trays and drop in ruby red cranberries along with thin orange slices. Place the trays in the freezer and freeze for three to four hours (or overnight). When ready to serve, grab a cube and drop it into the bottom of your rocks glass.
Splash a good bourbon right over the fresh ice to cool it as it hits the glass. Stir to slowly to chill and combine the drink.
Serve this easy spiced Thanksgiving old fashioned cocktail to good company and set the perfect mood just in time for that turkey dinner. Here’s what you’ll need to serve this easy Thanksgiving holiday cocktail.
Ingredients To make a Thanksgiving bourbon cocktail
- Homemade pumpkin spice syrup – see below
- Cranberry juice
- Fresh sliced orange
- Classic Angostura bitters
- Good quality bourbon – your favorite kind
- Sparkling water
- Large cocktail ice cubes
- Cinnamon sugar
To make the homemade pumpkin spice syrup:
- Combine one cup of water with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar in a small saucepan.
- Now toss in one packet of chai spice tea. This helps to deepen those autumn spice flavors. To the same mixture, add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Now add 1/4 cup of plain pumpkin puree. I use plain canned pumpkin puree with nothing added. Whisk in the pumpkin as you bring the syrup to a simmer.
- When the pumpkin spice syrup comes to a simmer, continue to cook over the simmer for an additional 5 minutes then turn the heat off. Cover with a lid and let steep an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the chai tea bag from the saucepan and discard.
- Grab a small mixing bowl and a fine mesh strainer. Take the saucepan with the spiced syrup and pour it through the fine mesh strainer as you hold it over the bowl. Stir the syrup with a spoon to help it pass through the strainer. This may take a few minutes depending on the thickness of your pumpkin purée.
- When you are finished straining, transfer the syrup to a mason jar with a screw top lid. Store in the coolest part of the refrigerator and consume within 3 to 4 weeks. Use in seasonal fall cocktails or make a simple pumpkin spice coffee!
Here’s How To Make a Pumpkin SPice Old Fashioned
Add Ice and Bourbon to your thanksgiving bourbon cocktail
Serve this seasonal cocktail cold and enjoy it throughout the holiday season
Serve this festive Thanksgiving bourbon drink nice and cold as you swirl it among those big colorful cubes of ice. Enjoy it alongside friends and family who appreciate a homemade craft cocktail infused with the tastes of the season.
If you find that the flavors are settling a bit, serve the drink with a cocktail pick. It’s a nice touch for guests, and it helps to mix and reinvigorate the drink as you sip. Â
That hint of cranberry juice adds fruitiness to the spiced pumpkin flavor. The bitters and fresh orange make the cocktail bloom while bringing a boost of aromatic-driven tastes that make the beloved old fashioned cocktail so familiar. Bourbon is the big star in this simple spiced Thanksgiving cocktail that’s truly inspired by the season.
You can serve this easy cranberry pumpkin spice old fashioned at Thanksgiving, but it also makes a great fall cocktail along with this maple apple bourbon cocktail and this sparkling apple cider fall bourbon cocktail. The pumpkin, spices, and rich bourbon taste make it a seasonal sipper that’s hard to put down.
Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned | Thanksgiving Bourbon Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 oz Pumpkin Spice Syrup - *see notes section below
- 1 oz Cranberry Juice
- 1/2 slice Round Slice of Orange - Slice a round wheel of orange and cut in half. Use a half slice for each cocktail.
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters - classic bitters
- 2 oz Bourbon
- Cinnamon Sugar - for cocktail rim
- Sparkling Water - for topping off
- 1 large cube Cocktail Ice
Instructions
- Swipe your rocks glass with a wedge of fresh orange and dip into a bit of cinnamon sugar.  If you don’t have cinnamon sugar bottled, combine about 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon with a tablespoon or so of white sugar, stir, and dip your cup in.
- Slice a round wheel of fresh orange, and then cut that round slice in half. Drop the half slice into the bottom of your rocks glass, reserving the rest of the fruit for more cocktails to come.
- Using a jigger to measure from here on out, splash in the pumpkin spice syrup plus the cranberry juice.
- Add in a few dashes of classic style Angostura bitters.  Muddle the fruit, syrup, bitters, and cranberry juice until the fruit is smashed and citrus oils are released.Â
- Add a large cube of cocktail ice to your rocks glass and splash in 2 ounces of good quality Kentucky Straight bourbon. Â
- Stir together with a bar spoon to combine the spirits, juices, fruit, and syrup.  Stir until the glass begins to cool down nicely and the cocktail is nice and cold.Â
- To finish, add a splash of sparkling water and give one last gentle stir to incorporate light fizz. If your guests like their cocktail a little sweeter, add a bar spoon or so more of the pumpkin syrup and sweeten to taste.  Serve very cold.
Notes
- Combine one cup of water with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar in a small saucepan.
- Now toss in one packet of chai spice tea. This helps to deepen those autumn spice flavors. To the same mixture, add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Now add 1/4 cup of plain pumpkin puree. I just used plain canned pumpkin puree with nothing added. Whisk in the pumpkin as you bring the syrup to a simmer.
- When the pumpkin spice syrup comes to a simmer, continue to cook over the simmer for an additional 5 minutes then turn the heat off. Cover with a lid and let steep an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the chai tea bag from the saucepan thoroughly pressing out any additional juices it may have soaked up while steeping, then discard.
- Grab a small mixing bowl and a fine mesh strainer. Take the saucepan with the spiced syrup and pour it through the fine mesh strainer. This may take a few minutes depending on the thickness of your pumpkin puree. Use a spoon and stir to help it pass through.
-  When finished straining, transfer the syrup to a mason jar with a screw top lid. Store in the coolest part of the refrigerator and consume within 3 to 4 weeks.  Use in seasonal fall cocktails or make a simple pumpkin spice coffee!
