Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned | Thanksgiving Bourbon Cocktail
In this old fashioned cocktail recipe, the warmth of spice is incorporated through a homemade pumpkin spice syrup. It lends a festive seasonal twist to this easy pumpkin spice 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.
- Add a large cube of cocktail ice to your rocks glass and splash in 2 ounces of good quality Kentucky Straight bourbon.
- 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.
- 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
*To Make The 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 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!
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