Make this strawberry old fashioned cocktail for a fruity twist on the classic with juicy fresh berry flavor notes! As a whiskey lover, this cocktail is in regular rotation for me and a great way to enjoy brown liquor during the warm summer months when ripe berries are in season.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my hibiscus old fashioned, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make - The beauty of the old fashioned is its simplicity and this old fashioned with strawberry syrup sticks to that script. It's a beginner friendly cocktail and I've included easy swaps for cocktail tools below, in case you don't have them on hand.
Fresh Strawberry Vanilla Flavor plays wonderfully with the oaky caramel notes of bourbon. Old fashioned drinks are made to be savored but I find myself gulping this fruity old fashioned down because it's SO good.
I'm a whiskey girl so I have lots of quality bourbon cocktails in the archives like my pineapple whiskey sour and berry bourbon smash. And don't forget the lavender mint julep and bourbon cherry limeade!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Bourbon or Rye Whiskey are the traditional old fashioned spirits. Use the highest quality whiskey you can get because without a lot of mixers, the flavor will come through.
Strawberry Infused Syrup takes the place of a sugar cube or simple syrup you'd normally use in an old fashioned recipe and adds sweet strawberry flavor. My homemade strawberry vanilla syrup adds the best taste, in my humble opinion, but you could also use a store-bought syrup like Monin strawberry, instead.
Angostura Bitters are like the cocktail seasoning as they add dimension. Just a couple dashes.
Orange is necessary for the oil or essence that comes from the peel. So don't just grab orange juice!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Cherry - Brandied cherries, luxardo cherries, are maraschino cherries are traditionally a garnish for the old fashioned cocktail's cousin, the Manhattan. But some people like adding a cherry to their old fashioned and I'm not here to rain on your parade!
Ice - The old fashioned is meant to be sipped slow and savored so it's usually served over a big cube of ice. You can actually use whatever ice you have just note that small ice cubes will melt faster resulting in a watered down drink.
Check out my chai old fashioned for another great flavor option!
How to Make a Strawberry Old Fashioned
Step One: Stir the bitters and strawberry syrup together.
Step Two: Add ice and bourbon in then stir until glass is chilled to the touch.
Pro Tip #1: For these steps, use a cocktail mixing glass and bar spoon OR a highball glass and a regular table spoon or butter knife.
Pro Tip #2: If you don't have a jigger to measure the liquor with, use a standard size shot glass, which holds about the same amount of liquid as the large end of a jigger.
Step Three: Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
Step Four: Peel a strip of orange rind and squeeze it over top of the cocktail to express the oils.
Pro Tip #3: Don't have a cocktail strainer? Use another glass to cover all but a sliver of the mixing glass as you pour so that just the liquid comes out. A mesh strainer also works well.
Step Five: Add the orange peel to the glass as garnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can mix this drink up to two days in advance and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Reserve the ice until serving and stir up the cocktail in case of separation.
To batch this drink, combine two ounces of strawberry vanilla syrup and 8-12 dashes of bitters. Add ice then six ounces of bourbon and stir until chilled. Divide the liquid between four rocks glasses over fresh ice then express orange oil over each one. Serves four but if you need more just adjust the servings in the recipe card below!
More Favorite Fruity Cocktails
I hope you'll enjoy this strawberry 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
Strawberry Old Fashioned Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 mixing glass or highball glass
- 1 bar spoon or regular table spoon
- 1 jigger or standard shot glass
- 1 cocktail strainer or mesh strainer
- 1 rocks glass
Ingredients
- ½ ounce strawberry vanilla syrup
- 2-3 dashes angostura bitters
- ice
- 1 ½ ounce bourbon or rye whiskey
- 1 orange
Instructions
- Add the strawberry syrup and bitters to mixing glass and stir to combine.
- Fill the mixing glass with ice then pour in bourbon and stir until chilled to the touch (about eight seconds).
- Strain the liquid into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Peel off a strip of orange rind then squeeze it over top of the cocktail to express oils and drop peel into the glass for garnish.
Notes
- Hull and slice eight ounces of strawberries and split open one vanilla bean to expose its seeds.
- Add strawberries and vanilla bean to a small saucepan with one cup of water and one cup of sugar (or other sweetener) over medium heat.
- Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain out solid ingredients then allow syrup to cool fully before using. Makes 10 servings.
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