This gingerbread old fashioned recipe is the perfect holiday drink for bourbon and whiskey lovers! Full of warm winter spices, this is sure to be a new favorite winter cocktail.

Two gingerbread old fashioneds with ice spheres ready to be drank. The Christmas old fashiond glasses are surrounded by smiling gingerbread cookies, pinecones, red berries, and gold trees.

Hats off to my husband for this delightful holiday old fashioned drink recipe! This gingerbread old fashioned is a festive twist on a classic old fashioned. Boozy and bold, this easy cocktail recipe is perfect for those who love a simple “on the rocks” kind of drink.

If you love this Gingerbread Old Fashioned, you need to try this Gingerbread Eggnog Cocktail and this delightful Gingerbread Coffee too!

Jump to:

What is a Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail?
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Old Fashioned Cocktail
Ingredients Needed
Cask Strength Bourbon vs. Regular Bourbon
What is the Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned?
Step-by-Step Instructions
Helpful Equipment
Expert Tips
Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
Gingerbread Old Fashioned

What is a Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail?

Old Fashioneds are one of the most classic cocktails, with the first written references to the ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail being more than 140 years old. And if people were referring to the drink as ‘old’ back in the 1880s, that’s about as classic as they come! The basic recipe hasn’t changed in all those years: spirits, sugar, bitters, and water or ice. In fact, with just those ingredients, you can make a wide variety of tasty drinks.

Vintage Old Fashioneds will have bourbon or rye whiskey, but more modern approaches also incorporate different spirits like rum or tequila. In place of sugar, simple syrups of all flavors work well; and as far as bitters go, the sky’s the limit when deciding what aromatic characteristics you want to feature.

Why You’ll Love This Christmas Old Fashioned Cocktail

Easy to make! Measure, stir, and enjoy!

Warming Christmas Flavor. This Christmas Old Fashioned Cocktail boasts all of your favorite warm winter spices from the gingerbread syrup. And is warming from the bourbon.

Ready to sip in less than 5 minutes. Note: this does not include time to make your gingerbread simple syrup. BUT once you’ve made it you can store your gingerbread syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks… so you can be ready for a Gingerbread Old Fashioned anytime!

Ingredients Needed

Bourbon

Gingerbread Simple Syrup

Angostura bitters

Ice

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Cask Strength Bourbon vs. Regular Bourbon

There are different types of bourbon available for purchase, so you may see a bottle labeled ‘cask strength’ or ‘barrel proof’. Cask strength bourbon is taken directly from the barrel to the bottling line, whereas a standard bourbon will have some water added to it in order to get the appropriate taste or ABV the distiller is looking for to sell it. To get to the point, cask strength or barrel proof whiskey is stronger. It’s also often touted as having a deeper flavor profile.

What is the Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned?

Whatever bourbon whiskey you enjoy is a good bourbon to use in this holiday old fashioned cocktail. If you are newer to bourbon, I recommend purchasing a high quality bourbon like J.Henry & Sons, Makers Mark Cask Strength, or Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. If you have a local distillery near you that makes bourbon, give them a try too!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Add bourbon, gingerbread simple syrup, and bitters to a lowball glass (or rocks glass)
Add 1 large ice cube (or 3-4 smaller ice cubes) and stir slowly until drink is cooled (about 30-seconds)
Kick back, sip slowly, and enjoy!

Close up of a single gingerbread old fashioned with an ice ball.

Helpful Equipment

Lowball / rocks glasses

Bar spoon

Jigger

Ice sphere molds

Expert Tips

Prep your gingerbread simple syrup ahead of time. Having your gingerbread simple syrup done ahead of time ensures that it is cool and ready to use any time! Simple syrup will stay well in your fridge for several weeks, so making it early in the holiday season ensures you can enjoy festive beverages any time.

Make sure to shake your gingerbread simple syrup before using. With so many winter spices in our homemade simple syrup, you want to shake your (tightly-closed) bottle of simple syrup prior to use in any recipe. This ensures the spices are well distributed throughout, giving your drink that nice gingerbread flavor.

Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy

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