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This brown sugar old fashioned is a cozy, fall cocktail that is easy to make. Made with a homemade brown sugar, cinnamon and maple simple syrup. Mixed with bourbon whiskey and a twist of orange peel.
This cocktail is a spin on the classic old fashioned cocktail. For other old fashioned variations, try this pineapple old fashioned or this chocolate old fashioned.
For other whiskey bourbon drinks, try this bourbon rosemary cocktail, this blackberry bourbon smash or this blood orange whiskey sour.
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Recipe Highlights
- Brown Sugar + Maple + Bourbon. The combination of flavors in this drink perfectly complement each other.
- It’s made with homemade syrup. The syrup, similar to this brown sugar simple syrup, is made with basic ingredients you probably already have. It tastes authentic without any adding artifical flavoring.
- It’s the perfect fall & winter cocktail. The flavors in this drink make it a great drink to serve when it is starting to get chilly outside.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bourbon Whiskey: Use your favorite type of bourbon whiskey. You can also substitute this with a dark rum instead.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is used to make the simple syrup. When melted, it adds a rich, slightly caramel flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure authentic maple syrup for the best flavor.
- Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon blends well with the brown sugar and maple syrup in the simple syrup.
- Angostura Bitters: All old fashioned cocktails are made with a few dashes of bitters. You can use classic Angostura bitters, or you can experiment with orange or chocolate bitters.
- Orange Peel: An orange peel is twisted into the cocktail to add a slightly citrus flavor.
Equipment
- A small pan to make the brown sugar simple syrup.
- A peeler to peel a slice of orange peel for garnish.
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and water together on a pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Continue to heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved. Don’t let the syrup boil.
Step 2: Add the syrup to a cocktail glass filled with ice. Then add the bourbon whiskey and dashes of bitters.
Step 3: Stir the cocktail to mix the ingredients together. Twist an orange peel into the glass. Enjoy!
Make Ahead & Storage
This old fashioned is best served fresh and it is best not to make this drink ahead of time.
However, you can make the brown sugar simple syrup in advance. This makes assembling the cocktail faster when you are ready to serve it.
To store the brown sugar syrup, let it fully cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Expert Tips
- The syrup should have a liquid consistency. Simple syrup should be mostly liquid. If it is too thick, it will not mix as well in the drink.
- Serve in a small glass. Old fashioned drinks don’t contain a lot of liquid since they are so strong. Serve them in smaller glasses so it looks like the glass is fuller.
- Make it a double. Regular old fashioned drinks tend to have 2 oz of bourbon. For a drink of equivalent strength, double this recipe.
- Add a splash of soda or water. Some people like to add a small splash of club soda or still water after the ingredients have been mixed together.
- Reduce the sweetness. If you prefer this drink to taste slightly stronger, use only a ½ oz of brown sugar syrup instead.
FAQ
If the syrup was boiled for too long or at too high a temperature, too much water will evaporate and it will end up too thick. The syrup should be a liquid consistency.
If you don’t have Angostura bitters, use another flavor of bitters. If you don’t have any type of bitters, use ⅛ teaspoon of Campari or Amaro.
📖 Recipe
Brown Sugar Old Fashioned
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 1 Cocktail 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This brown sugar old fashioned is a cozy fall cocktail that is easy to make. Made with a homemade brown sugar, cinnamon and maple simple syrup.
Ingredients
- Brown Sugar Syrup
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Brown Sugar Old Fashioned
- 1 oz bourbon
- 1 oz brown sugar syrup
- 2-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
- 1 x 1-inch orange peel
Instructions
- Heat the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and water together on a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to heat the syrup, stirring occasionally until the brown sugar has fully dissolved. Don’t let the syrup boil. Remove the syrup from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Add the brown sugar simple syrup and bourbon whiskey to a cocktail glass filled with ice. Next add the dashes of bitters. Stir well to mix all the ingredients together.
- Twist the orange peel over the drink, and add it in as garnish. Enjoy responsibly!
Notes
- The syrup should have a liquid consistency. Simple syrup should be mostly liquid. If it is too thick, it will not mix as well in the drink.
- Storage: To store the brown sugar syrup, let it fully cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cocktail
- Calories: 137
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 1mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Brad R
The first time I made it, the measurements were off a little bit. I ended up using too much cinnamon and it overpowered the whole drink. It was very sad and disappointing. But the next time I made it, I used a light sprinkle and the cinnamon was able to fully dissolve along with the brown sugar while still being able to taste the cinnamon, brown sugar and maple syrup. Much much better.
Betty M
Flavour was great but next time I will use cinnamon sticks to flavour it, the cinnamon powder made it quite sludgy which did not look or taste as nice in the drink
Irena
I am a big old-fashioned fan and really enjoyed this version. Tasted a bit more caramel-like.