Spiced Cranberry Old Fashioned

 A fun seasonal cocktail. Make the simple syrup first.  The cranberry spice lends a great flavor.

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly grated

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves

FOR THE COCKTAIL

2 ounces bourbon

¼ ounce spiced cranberry simple syrup about 1 teaspoon

2-3 dashes of orange bitters

1 large ice cube

Orange twist for garnish, optional

Sugared cranberries for garnish, optional

Candied rosemary for garnish, optional

Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup

In a small saucepan, add the cranberries, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves over medium-high heat.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to steep for another 10 minutes.
Place a bowl under a fine-mesh sieve. Strain the syrup in the fine-mesh sieve. Store the cranberry simple syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Spiced Cranberry Old Fashioned

Pour the bourbon and spiced cranberry simple syrup into an old fashioned glass. Add orange bitters. Stir to combine.
Add a large ice cube to the glass. Stir about 15-20 times to chill and just slightly dilute the mixture.
If desired, garnish with an orange twist, sugared cranberries and candied rosemary. Enjoy!

Notes
When making one cranberry old fashioned at a time, prepare it directly in the rocks glass. If you’d like to prepare multiple old fashioned cocktails at a time, however, a mixing glass is traditional, or you could even use a pitcher if you’re serving a large crowd. To make a 12-serving batch, use 3 cups bourbon, ¼ cup spiced cranberry simple syrup, ⅓ cup water (to account for dilution) and ¾ ounce bitters. Stir together and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.