Fall Spice Cordial

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 05/6/21
Kara Newman's Fall Spice Cordial Cocktail
Steve Brown Photography / Photolibrary / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Syrup: 90 mins
Total: 113 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The fall spice cordial is an amazing drink with a little spice and a lot of flavors that are ideal for chilly autumn nights. It's a recipe from Kara Newman's book, "Spice and Ice," and one of the more intriguing bourbon cocktails you'll find.

The key to this cocktail is a single ingredient that you'll have to make, but it's really easy. The homemade chipotle-orange syrup has a tang, a spicy kick, and some sweetness rolled into one. It plays very nicely against a premium bourbon and the soothing taste of the vanilla. This may not be the spiciest cocktail, but you definitely get that chipotle pepper bite, which is surprisingly fun.

Ingredients

For the Chipotle-Orange Syrup:

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 chipotle pepper

  • 2 strips fresh orange peel

  • 3/4 cup sugar

For the Cocktail:

Steps to Make It

Make the Chipotle-Orange Syrup

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.

  3. Reduce to a simmer and add the chipotle pepper and orange peel.

  4. Cover and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain with a fine-mesh sieve to remove the pepper and orange.

  5. Return the syrup to the pan and add the sugar. Bring it back up to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.

  6. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour the syrup into a container with a tight seal and keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Make the Fall Spice Cordial

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, add the bourbon, vanilla liqueur, chipotle-orange syrup, and orange bitters. Fill with ice.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into a cocktail glass.

  5. Garnish with an orange peel. Serve and enjoy.

Tip

  • Originally, this recipe used Navan for the vanilla liqueur. Unfortunately, that has been discontinued since the book was published, so you will have to substitute it with another vanilla liqueur.

Recipe Variation

  • Chipotle peppers are actually smoked and dried jalapeños. Though they offer a unique flavor to the syrup, you can certainly use chile peppers of any kind and either dried or fresh. Just remember that you want to retain a balance of flavors, so skip the super hot peppers like habanero and ghost peppers.

How Strong Is a Fall Spice Cordial?

This cocktail is big on flavor and that's boosted by a good amount of alcohol. When made with vanilla liqueur and an 80 proof bourbon, it shakes up to 22 percent ABV (44 proof). That's typical of drinks in this style and, to put it into perspective, half the strength of drinking the whiskey straight.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
228 Calories
0g Fat
28g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 228
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 8mg 41%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 24mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)