WOT makes a craft cocktail taste so good? It’s the combination of ingredients that are a little extra special.
Don’t be afraid, that doesn’t mean that all craft cocktails are difficult to make, it just means they usually don’t call for your standard stock items. The good news is that for this WOT Test Kitchen recipe for a Spiced Bourbon Cocktail, you probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen.
You can use any bourbon you’d like for this recipe, but you know us, we’re using Longbranch. Just like many of our recipes, you can do the steps ahead of time and have it ready to go when you’re in the mood for something a little extra special.
Spiced Bourbon Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz. spiced bourbon (see recipe below)
- 1 tbsp. thyme-infused simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 1 tbsp. orange juice
- Luxardo cherries
- orange peel for garnish twist
- 3 cups bourbon
- 1-1/2 tbsp. whole cloves
- 3/4 cup raw or organic sugar
- 1 cup water
- 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- In an ice-filled shaker, combine the spiced bourbon, thyme-infused simple syrup, and orange juice. Shake very well.
- Fill a rocks glass with ice, place two Luxardo cherries on a cocktail pick, and place them in the glass.
- Give the shaker one more quick shake and strain over the glass filled with ice.
- Add an orange twist for garnish and serve.
- In a mason jar add the 3 cups of bourbon and 1 ½ tablespoons of whole cloves.
- Let the cloves sit in the bourbon for a full 24 hours.
- Strain the cloves from the bourbon keeping a few to add back in the jar or bourbon bottle. This distinguishes it as spiced bourbon. Can be stored for several months.
- In a small kettle, over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Let simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved in the water.
- Add the 10 sprigs of fresh thyme and let simmer in the water for 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off the kettle and let cool completely. Strain the thyme from the liquid, and pour it into a jar. Keep refrigerated for 2-3weeks.
Enjoy and Cheers!
Making this recipe? Be sure and share it with us on the WOT Instagram or Facebook!
All photos by Lorianne DeVita