cranberry old fashioned

Take your favorite classic cocktail up a festive notch with this delish Cranberry Old Fashioned cocktail! A super-easy cranberry simple syrup makes this bourbon drink sweet, tart and perfect for the holidays.

Note: This post was originally published in November of 2014. We’ve since updated the recipe and the photos!

Cranberry Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

In our house, holidays = an excuse for fancy cocktails. And when I say fancy, I still mean easy; we aren’t making smoked elixirs and infused liqueurs or anything like that. The most we are doing here is taking 10 extra minutes to make a delicious cranberry-cinnamon simple syrup, and let me tell you it is 100% worth the time and effort. Add it to a glass with bourbon and bitters, and cheers to everything for which you’re thankful.

Here is what you can expect from this drink:

• Your favorite cocktail with a festive twist
• A balance of bitter, sweet, tart and fruity flavors
• A drink that’s easy to scale for a crowd
• A drink that’s easy to customize to your preferences and tastes

How to Make Cranberry Simple Syrup

The basis of this drink couldn’t be easier; you’re basically swirling bourbon, simple syrup and bitters in a glass, then adding ice. My kinda drink! But before you get to that point, we need to make the cranberry simple syrup. Good thing that’s also easy to do. Here’s how:

• Step One: Bring the mixture to a boil. Add all the ingredients for the simple syrup (fresh cranberries, sugar, orange zest, etc.) just to a boil in a medium saucepan.
• Step Two: Simmer the syrup. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, the cranberries are bursting and the mixture is a light red color.
• Step Three: Steep and store. After about 10 minutes of simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the mixture to sit another 10 minutes in the saucepan to steep, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a lidded jar or other container.

Once the simple syrup has completely cooled, you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. That’s a lot of opportunity for a holiday cocktail.

How to Make a Cranberry Old Fashioned Your New Favorite Cocktail

If you’re already a fan of old fashioned cocktails, I have no doubt you will love this drink. That said, everyone has their preferences on sweetness/bitterness/etc., which is why I am here to offer you several ways to adapt this recipe to your tastes:

• Add up to 1 oz more bourbon (2 oz to 3 oz total) if you love the taste of bourbon and want a stronger drink.
• Add anywhere from 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz (or more) of the cranberry simple syrup for a sweeter cocktail
• Use your favorite bitters! We usually use orange bitters, but our favorite choice lately has been these Old Fashioned Bitters from Dashfire.
• Add ice, or drink it neat. Some people like ice-cold drinks, while others like to keep them undiluted. You do you!
• Add garnishes, or leave them out. I love the added citrus flavor from a twist of orange, but feel free to keep it clean.

More Cocktail Recipes!

• bee’s knees cocktail
• holiday negroni
• pomegranate kir royale
• harvest apple ginger smash
• watermelon mojitos