I’ve been obsessed with two things this fall: apple cider and bourbon. I don’t know what it is, but I keep finding recipes with one or both, and today is no different. This Warm Spiced Vanilla Cocktail sounds so creamy and good, and I’m not at all surprised it has bourbon in it. I hope I’m not getting too repetitive, but I had to make this cocktail after I read the recipe. I dare you not to do the same!
Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, Irish cream, and bourbon make for a cozy hot cocktail that’ll warm up the coldest of winter nights.
The Ingredients
Guess what? I had every single ingredient for this recipe on hand. Well, I didn’t quite have enough milk, so I bought an extra bottle. This recipe is full of pantry- and bar-staples, at least for me. I didn’t have much shopping to do–just gathering ingredients from my pantry, bar, and refrigerator, for the most part. Love it!
One thing I was very happy to see in the list of ingredients was freshly grated nutmeg. It’s so much better than the bottled stuff! You could use ground nutmeg if you can’t find it whole, but I strongly urge you to take an extra minute or two to grate it.
Another thing to note is you’ll need 5-inch cinnamon sticks. Most sold in grocery stores are much shorter, but you can find longer lengths on Amazon. You can always double up on the shorter ones if you’re only using them for flavor. However, I like having longer cinnamon sticks around for garnishes because the short ones disappear into most glasses and mugs.
The Process
Making this recipe was almost as easy as “shopping” for the ingredients. I got the milk and spices started warming in a saucepan and got started on rimming the mugs. If you’ve ever rimmed a margarita glass, it was the same thing. I was worried the maple syrup would make the cinnamon-sugar mixture run, but I’m happy to say it didn’t budge. I did let each mug sit in the cinnamon-sugar for a minute or so, and I think that set it in place.
