A cinnamon stick sitting in a whiskey glass does more work than it looks like it should. Warm it for three seconds under a lighter before it goes in and the volatile oils start moving, so you smell the drink a beat before you taste it. That’s the trick that makes a spiced Old-Fashioned read as autumn instead of an unwelcomed Christmas candle.
You came looking for a spiced Old-Fashioned, which means you already know the classic and you’re after the fall version. Fair. The problem with most of them is that they pile on the sweet: flavored syrup, plus maple, plus a garnish that tastes like potpourri. We kept the spice in the aromatics and the garnish where your nose can find it, and left the bourbon doing what bourbon does.
What Is a Spiced Old-Fashioned Cocktail?
Quick Answer: A Spiced Old-Fashioned is a bourbon Old-Fashioned built with a spiced or orange simple syrup and a drizzle of maple, then garnished with warm baking spices: cinnamon, star anise, orange peel, and rosemary. It keeps the classic four-part structure and layers autumn aromatics on top.
Here’s what most people don’t know about the name. The Old-Fashioned isn’t named after nostalgia. In the 1880s, bartenders had started dressing whiskey cocktails up with liqueurs, absinthe, and whatever else was on the back bar. Drinkers who wanted the original build started ordering their whiskey “the old-fashioned way,” meaning the early 1800s definition of a much simpler cocktail with spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The name is a complaint that became a standard.
What isn’t in question is that the template is the oldest one we have, which is exactly why it takes a seasonal spin so well. There’s nothing in it to fight with.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
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What You Need to Make a XX Cocktail
How to Make a Spiced Old-Fashioned Cocktail
- Add ice to each glass, then pour in 2 ounces of bourbon, 2 to 3 dashes of bitters, and ½ ounce of simple syrup. Stir gently to combine and chill.
- Drizzle ½ tablespoon of maple syrup over each drink.
- Express an orange twist over the surface and drop it in, then add a cinnamon stick, a rosemary sprig, and a star anise pod.
- Serve chilled, and tell people to give it a stir halfway through.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Warm the cinnamon stick. Three seconds with a lighter or a kitchen torch, just until it smells like cinnamon and not before it blackens. The aromatics carry across the whole glass.
- Squeeze the twist before it goes in. Skin-side down over the drink, pinch firmly. You’ll see the oil spray hit the surface. Skipping this is the single most common reason a garnish looks good and does nothing.
- Taste before you commit to the sweetener. Between the syrup and the maple, this build runs sweeter than a classic Old-Fashioned. If you like yours dry, start at ¼ ounce of simple syrup and keep the full maple drizzle, or go the other way and cut the maple in half.
- Use one big cube. Small ice waters this down fast, and with maple sitting on top you want slow dilution so the drink opens up rather than thinning out.
- Stir, don’t shake. No citrus juice, no egg, no dairy. Shaking spirit-only drinks aerates them and clouds the surface, and you lose the silky texture that makes an Old-Fashioned worth nursing.
How to Serve This Spiced Old-Fashioned Cocktail
Rocks glass, one large cube, garnishes standing up so the rosemary and cinnamon reach past the rim. That vertical garnish isn’t for the photo. It puts the aromatics directly under your nose on every sip.
This is a fireplace drink and a front-porch-in-October drink. It sits well next to sharp cheese, spiced nuts, anything off a grill. If you’re serving a crowd, set out the garnishes in small bowls and let people build their own. It gives everyone something to do with their hands, and it saves you playing bartender all night.
More Cocktail Recipes
Working through the Old-Fashioned family is one of the better ways to learn what bourbon can do. Try the gingerbread Old-Fashioned when the holidays land, the smoked Old-Fashioned if you want to put a little char in the glass, or the cranberry Old-Fashioned for something tart. Our full list of cozy fall cocktails covers the rest of the season.
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Spiced Old-Fashioned Recipe
Equipment
- 4 rocks or whiskey glasses
- Cutting board and paring knife or peeler
- Bar spoon
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bourbon
- 8 to 12 dashes aromatic bitters 2 to 3 per drink
- 2 ounces simple syrup orange or spiced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 orange twists
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 whole star anise pods for garnish
- Ice for serving
Instructions
- Fill each glass with ice. Pour 2 ounces bourbon, 2 to 3 dashes bitters, and ½ ounce simple syrup into each and stir gently to combine.
- Drizzle ½ tablespoon maple syrup over each drink.
- Express an orange twist over the surface and drop it in. Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick, a rosemary sprig, and a star anise pod.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
- Squeeze the orange twist over the glass before adding it to release the oils. It’s the difference between a garnish that works and one that just sits there.
- For a drier drink, start with ¼ ounce simple syrup and adjust to taste.
- Use culinary Chinese star anise for garnish.
Recipe FAQs
Four whiskey glasses, a cutting board and knife for the garnishes, and a bar spoon. No shaker, no saucepan.
Rye or a blended whiskey both work in place of bourbon, though rye will push the drink drier and spicier. Any flavored simple syrup does the job, and making your own with cinnamon sticks and star anise takes about five minutes plus cooling time.
Cut strips of peel about half an inch wide and two inches long, taking as little of the white pith as you can. Twist each strip over the glass to release the oils, then drop it in.
It runs sweeter than a classic Old-Fashioned because of the maple on top of the syrup. Start at ¼ ounce of simple syrup if you prefer yours spirit-forward, and taste before you pour the second round.
Combine the bourbon, bitters, and simple syrup in a pitcher, refrigerate, and pour 2½ ounces per glass over ice when guests arrive. Add the maple and garnishes glass by glass so the aromatics stay fresh.
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