Cranberry Vanilla Old Fashioned

The idea of stocking an entire bar for holiday entertaining is, to me, really intimidating. It’s expensive for one, and it can be a little overwhelming if you don’t happen to already have a ton of boozy libations just sitting around in your bar, ready for action when compn’y comes a calling. I certainly don’t. So, the notion of crafting a special, thematic cocktail just for the occasion is not only really fun – it’s utterly practical, and people always tend to appreciate it.

Today, I wanted to share my holiday cocktail of choice – the thing I make to both serve guests in my own home, as well as to take to people who have me to theirs. Presenting a bottle of great wine to someone as a hostess gift is wonderful, but giving them a carafe of a custom-made cocktail is just cool. And because I’m a good Kentucky girl, my go-to custom cocktail is this Cranberry Vanilla Old Fashioned.

Need some quality, go-to highball glasses? Here are the ones I use, and they’re perfect.

What is an Old Fashioned cocktail?

Well, I suppose there’s old fashioned cocktails and then there’s THE Old Fashioned Cocktail. Today, we’re focusing on the latter. A classic bourbon-based cocktail, Old Fashioned’s are a combination of bourbon whiskey, typically a little simple syrup (a cooked combination of equal parts sugar and water) and some bitters. They pack a punch, these drinks do, so sip with caution!

I was born and raised in Kentucky, and bourbon does have a way of making an appearance at all of my family’s holiday gatherings. When in Rome, you know? Everyone seems to drink it a bit differently – some straight up or neat, some with a splash of cola, others with a splash of soda or tonic water, and some over ice. I personally enjoy mine in a mule (with some ginger beer and lots of fresh lime) or, the very best, is in an Old Fashioned, like this recipe du jour.

The thing about this drink is that you can really take it in so many different flavor directions, and can simply let my amounts be your guide – your cocktail roadmap. If you want to use spicy bitters, I HIGHLY suggest you give that a try. You can find some pretty cool flavored bitters out there now, and I sometimes will keep a spicy one around for things just like this. Incidentally, I also use a splash of spicy bitters in my favorite apple pie recipe, but that’s a story for another day.

With that, and speaking of Kentucky, I am getting ready to head over the river and through the woods to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Lexington, KY with my family. I plan to do a whole lot of nothing outside of cooking, catching up on some reading (I have a hot date with Stephen King planned) and hopefully … enjoying a couple of these Cranberry Vanilla Old Fashioned cocktails.

Happy holidays, y’all.

Here is a ready-made pin for you! Simply save it to your “Cocktail Hour” or “Drinks” boards and you’ll be all set when you need it.

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