There are drinks and then there are dranks. And my cinnamon old fashioned cocktail is a grown & sexy drank with smooth bourbon whiskey and smoky spice. Best of all, you can make it in just a few minutes at home. I'll cheers to that.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my cognac sazerac and chai old fashioned, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy - You only need five minutes to make this cinnamon stick old fashioned. Plus I have pro tips below to help you bring it to life even if you don't have bar tools at home!
Smoky Spicy Flavor - My old fashioned with cinnamon is a smooth and sexy cocktail with notes of orange, cinnamon, vanilla, and oak with a smoked edge that makes it taste like something mixed up at your favorite upscale bar.
Like any proper southern lady, I drink bourbon. So I have plenty of whiskey recipes for you to sip and savor, like my peach cobbler cocktail, whiskey watermelon smash, hibiscus mint julep, and bourbon cherry limeade cocktail!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Bourbon Whiskey or rye whiskey for a traditional old fashioned preparation. Use whichever brand you would enjoy sipping neat because we aren't adding too much in the way of mixers.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup adds sweetness instead of a sugar cube or plain sugar syrup as well as cinnamon flavor. For the best taste, I recommend using my homemade brown sugar cinnamon syrup.
Cinnamon Stick for the smoky factor and aesthetic. We won't actually be eating the cinnamon stick--we'll be burning it!
Orange oil adds just a hint of flavor to make this drink more complex and bright. We will be expressing the oil or essence from the orange peel so grab an actual orange not orange juice.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Bitters - Traditionally, Angostura bitters are used but you can get creative with other spiced bitters to play on the cinnamon flavor here, if you like. Chocolate bitters and cardamom bitters work well, too.
Cherry - A cherry garnish has become popular in old fashioneds because they are a staple in a related cocktail, the Manhattan. I don't follow that trend but you can add a brandied cocktail cherry, maraschino cherry or Luxardo cherry, if you like.
Ice - An old fashioned drink is supposed to be sipped slow and serving it over a big chunk of ice supports that by ensuring it doesn't get too diluted in that time. But feel free to use whatever ice cubes you have on hand, if needed.
How to Make a Smoked Cinnamon Old Fashioned
- Step 1: Burn the end of a cinnamon stick and place under glass to trap the smoke.
- Step 2: Stir together cinnamon syrup and bitters.
Pro Tip #1
The first time I made this cocktail was for date night with my boyfriend and he immediately ordered all the tools I used to be able to make it himself, too. But you don't have to necessarily do that--try a shot glass in place of a jigger, a highball glass instead of a cocktail mixing glass and a dinner spoon instead of a bar spoon.
- Step 3: Add ice and bourbon then stir to combine.
- Step 4: Strain liquid into smoked glass over large ice cube.
Pro Tip #2
I use a julep strainer or hawthorne strainer for here but a mesh strainer also works well. Or you could instead use another dish to cover all but a sliver of the mixing glass as you pour so that just the liquid comes out.
- Step 5: Express oil from orange peel into drink.
- Step 6: Garnish with orange peel and smoked cinnamon stick and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
To large batch this spiced bourbon cocktail, combine two ounces of cinnamon simple syrup with 8-12 dashes of bitters. Add the ice and six ounces of bourbon then stir until chilled. Divide the liquid between four smoked rocks glasses over ice and express orange oil over each. This makes four servings.
More Favorite Flavored Old Fashioned Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this cinnamon bourbon old fashioned soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Best Cinnamon Old Fashioned
Equipment
- 1 lighter
- 1 rocks glass
- 1 cocktail mixing glass or highball glass
- 1 bar spoon or dinner spoon
- 1 jigger or shot glass
- 1 cocktail strainer or mesh strainer
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ ounce cinnamon syrup
- 2-3 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 ½ ounce bourbon whiskey
- ice
- 1 orange
Instructions
- Carefully hold one end of cinnamon stick over a flame for a few seconds until you see it start to turn black and emit smoke.
- Place cinnamon stick on a dish then quickly place rocks glass upside down on top of it to trap the smoke.
- Meanwhile, add cinnamon simple syrup and bitters to mixing glass and stir.
- Fill halfway with ice then pour in bourbon and stir until chilled to touch.
- Remove cinnamon stick from rocks glass then add a large ice cube and strain in the cocktail liquid.
- Cut off a strip of orange peel then squeeze it over top of cocktail to express oil. Drop peel into glass along with charred cinnamon stick and serve.
Notes
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Add one cinnamon stick (or two teaspoons ground cinnamon), 1 ½ cup brown sugar, and one cup water to a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until dissolved.
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Bring the mixture to a boil then remove it from heat and steep until cooled.
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Strain out any solid pieces and transfer the cooled syrup to a container to store. Makes 18 servings.
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