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For a festive twist on a classic, this Gingerbread Old Fashioned cocktail recipe combines the richness of bourbon with the warm spices of your favorite Christmas cookies.

Glasses of gingerbread old fashioned cocktails.

Jump to:

What’s in a Gingerbread Old Fashioned?
Make Homemade Gingerbread Syrup
Try These Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipes
How to Make a Gingerbread Old Fashioned
Looking for more Christmas Cocktails?
Print the Recipe Card
Full Recipe

Perfect for the holiday season, this drink brings together traditional elements of a classic Old Fashioned cocktail with a gingerbread flavored syrup that’s easy to make at home in just a few minutes. Whether you’re cozying up by the fire or hosting a holiday party, this drink adds a festive touch to any occasion.

The gingerbread syrup is the star ingredient here, infusing the drink with notes of molasses, cinnamon, clove, and ginger that pair beautifully with walnut bitters and a hint of orange. The spicy flavors of gingerbread cookies are the perfect match for the smokiness of bourbon.

Orange peel, expressed over the drink, releases a citrus aroma that complements the sweetness of the syrup, creating a balanced, multi-dimensional cocktail.

Garnishing your Gingerbread Old Fashioned is where you really get the makings of a good holiday drink. The dehydrated orange slice and a cinnamon stick not only look festive but also enhance the warm, seasonal flavors in every sip.

This cocktail is simple to make yet impressive to serve, giving you a holiday drink that’s sure to become a seasonal favorite. For those interested in more Christmas cocktail inspiration, explore my recipes for a Cranberry Old Fashioned or a rich, creamy Peppermint Mocha Martini!

What’s in a Gingerbread Old Fashioned?

Ingredients in a Gingerbread Old Fashioned cocktail.

Bourbon - Choose your favorite bourbon for this recipe. I like to use the best bourbon I can afford in Old Fashioned cocktails since it's the main ingredient in the drink.
Gingerbread Syrup - Use store bought or homemade syrup for this cocktail. I highly recommend taking 10 minutes and making my homemade gingerbread syrup recipe.
Walnut Bitters - A good old fashioned needs a few dashes of bitters! Walnut bitters highlight the flavor of the gingerbread and add their own delicious flavor.
Orange Peel - Use a vegetable peeler to get a large piece of fresh orange peel for expressing over your drink.
Dehydrated Oranges (garnish) - You can find dehydrated citrus at specialty stores or make your own dehydrated oranges in your oven at home.
Cinnamon Sticks (garnish) - Cinnamon sticks are a fun and festive (and easy!) garnish for this cocktail.

Make Homemade Gingerbread Syrup

Gingerbread simple syrup tastes like an actual gingerbread cookie! It takes about 10 minutes to make and uses ingredients - like molasses, fresh ginger, and whole spices - easily found at your local grocery store. Get a full list of ingredients and instructions on my Homemade Gingerbread Syrup Recipe page.

A bottle of gingerbread syrup next to gingerbread cookies and a cup of coffee.

Try These Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipes

Old Fashioned cocktails are the perfect winter drink for bourbon lovers. I love creating twists on the Classic Old Fashioned, like my super-popular Coffee Old Fashioned made with cold brew coffee. Or try an Apple Cider Old Fashioned or Cranberry Old Fashioned.

How to Make a Gingerbread Old Fashioned

Gingerbread syrup being poured into a mixing glass filled with ice.

In a mixing glass half filled with ice cubes, combine bourbon, gingerbread syrup, and both bitters.

A hand holding a long handled spoon and stirring a cocktail in a mixing glass.

Stir using a bar spoon for 15-20 seconds until the mixture is well chilled.

Gingerbread Old Fashioned cocktail being poured into a rocks glass filled with a large ice cube.

Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes (or one large ice cube).

A hand placing a slice of dehydrated orange into a rocks glass filled with cocktail.

Express the orange peel over top of the cocktail and garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel and/or cinnamon stick.

Sip and enjoy!

A rocks glass filled with gingerbread old fashioned cocktail.

Looking for more Christmas Cocktails?

Use some of the gingerbread syrup you made for this recipe in a Gingerbread Martini. Or shake up a creamy Candy Cane Martini, Sugar Cookie Martini, or Peppermint Mocha Martini for some sweet dessert cocktail options.

Print the Recipe Card

Full Recipe