I was perusing the November issue of Bon Appétit and discovered that Stanley Tucci likes to begin his Thanksgiving meal with a martini. I mean no disrespect to the actor/foodie, but starting with a martini sounds a bit scary to me with so much food and family and friends to worry about. I’d prefer a slightly less alcohol-forward cocktail to begin the holiday gathering.

In planning for Thanksgiving, I look for recipes that I can prepare in advance so that when that special Thursday rolls around I am not in the kitchen all day and exhausted by the time we sit down to dinner. 

This cocktail calls for a fall-inspired simple syrup that can be made up to a week in advance. The syrup is honey-based (rather than sugar-based) and includes rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, orange and vanilla. All flavors that might find their way into other dishes on your holiday table. A little bit of sweet and spice complement the flavors found in bourbon (the traditional spirit found in an Old Fashioned).

In addition to bourbon and honey syrup, add lemon and orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed) and a few dashes of orange bitters. Our favorite orange bitters is Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6 but any you have on hand will do.

You can prepare these drinks individually or make a pitcher depending on your crowd. This is the perfect drink for one large square or round ice cube if you have those in your freezer (we do but I forgot to use them!).

Looking for a little nibble to pair this libation with? Try Cocoa-Espresso-Cardamom Almonds. These tasty treats can be made up to two weeks in advance or frozen for three months. 

Harvest Old Fashioned

 

Harvest Old Fashioned
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Drink
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Syrup
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for serving
  • 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 1 tablespoon cardamom pods (or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom)
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced (no need to peel)
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cocktail
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce honey syrup (or to taste)
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice (~ 1 quarter orange)
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice (~ 1 half lemon)
  • 1 to 2 dashes Orange bitters
  • Garnish with an orange slice and rosemary
Instructions
To make syrup:
  1. In a medium pot, bring ½ cup water, honey, rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger to a boil over high heat.
  2. Boil 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat.
  3. Stir in the orange zest and vanilla.
  4. Let cool to room temperature.
  5. Strain (pressing down on solids to remove as much liquid as possible) into a container and store in the refrigerator. Syrup can be made a week in advance.
To make cocktail:
  1. In a cocktail shaker, combine bourbon, honey syrup, orange juice, lemon juice and orange bitters. Taste to ensure it has the right sweetness – if not, add an additional tablespoon of syrup.
  2. Add ice and shake. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
  3. Garnish with an orange slice and rosemary.
Notes
* I recommend Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6.
* The syrup makes about ¾ of cup or enough for 6 to 8 drinks (depending on preferred sweetness).
* Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled – you may want to use a larger pot.
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Source:  Variation of a recipe from Half-Baked Harvest