Coming up with a signature Christmas cocktail has been one of my favorite new traditions that started because of this blog. We almost always have a cocktail hour before Christmas dinner, whether it’s a small affair with just Tory, our husbands and parents, or our more extended family. And it’s fun to be able to toast to a signature cocktail with everyone. When we were separated over Christmas during COVID we kept the Christmas Cocktail tradition alive and each made the same recipe at our respective hours and texted pictures to celebrate (we aren’t a Zoom or video chat family).
Although we’re four years past that COVID Christmas because of my little hiatus from the blog, I never got around to posting that cocktail – until now!
This recipe was inspired by an old-fashioned which is probably my husband’s favorite cocktail if he isn’t drinking his bourbon straight with one of the fancy big “rocks”. But I wanted to bring some of the seasonal flavors into it and inspiration may or may not have struck when I was whipping up a batch of my favorite Chewy Ginger Spice Cookies. I made a simple syrup with brown sugar and molasses infused with fresh rosemary, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. And topped it all with brûléed oranges, that may have been inspired by Tory’s dried orange Christmas decorations.
Here’s what you need:
Start by making the simple syrup. In a pan combine 2/3 c water, 2/3 c dark brown sugar, 1 T molasses, 2 springs of fresh rosemary, 3 cinnamon sticks and 1 t whole cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Prepare the brûléed oranges. Slice an orange into thin slices. Working quickly sprinkle with sugar and then use a culinary torch to brûlée or burn the sugar. You want to work quickly because the sugar will draw the liquid out of the orange slices making it harder to brûlée. I learned to sprinkle sugar and torch them one at a time.
Set the oranges aside when you’ve achieved a nice browning of the sugar. It will harden as it sits.
Now it’s time to prepare our cocktail. In a cocktail shaker combine 2 oz of bourbon, ¼ c orange juice (fresh if you have it or the best quality you can afford), a dash of orange bitters and 1-2 T of cinnamon syrup.
Add ice and shake! Add one large ice cube to a lowball glass and strain the cocktail into the glass. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a spring of rosemary and a cinnamon stick.
Garnishes really do have a place in cocktails, a well thought out garnish will add aromatics that you smell as you go to sip the cocktail adding to the experience!
Top the drink off with half an orange slice and enjoy!
Merry Christmas!
- Simple Syrup:
- ⅔ c brown sugar, dark preferred
- 1 T molasses
- ⅔ c water
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- Oranges:
- 1 orange cut into thin strips
- 1 t sugar per orange slice
- Cocktail:
- 2 oz bourbon
- ¼ c orange juice
- Dash orange bitters
- 1-2 T simple syrup
- Club soda
- Garnish:
- Rosemary springs
- Cinnamon sticks
- Brûléed orange slices
- In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, molasses, water, rosemary and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Working one orange slice at a time, sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar and use a culinary torch to melt and caramelize the sugar. Set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker add bourbon, orange juice, bitters, simple syrup and ice. Shake to combine and to chill. Pour over a large cocktail ice cube, top with club soda.
- Garnish with a spring of rosemary, a cinnamon stick and an orange slice.
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