Whiskey is the panacea. There is little it can’t cure, especially in winter. If I have a cold (as I do at the moment) I would far sooner have a hot whiskey than expensive cold and flu medications. The vapours clear my nose, the honey soothes my cough, the spices warm my bones and the nip of alcohol makes me sleep like a baby.

I usually add a pinch of cinnamon or a piece of star anise directly to hot whiskey as I make it, but a while back, when I was making rowanberry vodka for Christmas, I took the notion to make cinnamon whiskey. I bought a bottom shelf bottle of bourbon, popped in a few cinnamon sticks and left it to meld for a week or two. When I opened the bottle to take a sniff I was immediately smitten!

We don’t really drink spirits (liquor), but when I got a whiff of this cinnamon whiskey I had to try it immediately. We had a stash of homemade apple juice. I poured a shot of whiskey, added two shots of apple juice and tasted. Oh, sweet perfection!

I planned to post the recipe, but before I got round to taking photos the bottle was close to empty. So what could I do but make another bottle! (The things I do for you!) This time I used Irish whiskey. To be honest, there’s not a lot of difference once the cinnamon has been steeping for a few weeks. The cinnamon changes the whiskey quite considerably – it adds woody warmth and spice, a little sweetness and a hint of dryness. It also darkens the whiskey to a deep cola colour and adds a touch of viscosity.

I had originally planned to remove the cinnamon after about two weeks, but I was curious about whether the taste would improve or decline if I left it in for longer. To my mind it got nicer – spicier, sweeter and more syrupy – although the last few drinks were definitely quite cinnamony. If you’re making this for yourself I suggest leaving the cinnamon in the bottle the first time you make it and then decide for yourself if it’s something you would do again.

This cinnamon whiskey is perfect for making cocktails. The spice and touch of sweetness mix so well with other flavours, particularly tart fruit juices or cola. Use it anywhere you would use regular whiskey or bourbon for an added twist. It also makes the ultimate hot whiskey!

The bourbon (on the right) has taken on the deep red, cola colour

Cinnamon Whiskey – Master Recipe

700 ml bottle of whiskey or bourbon (bottom shelf is fine, but use whatever you prefer)
20 g | ¾ oz cinnamon sticks (about 5 x five-centimetre / two-inch pieces)

Add the cinnamon sticks to the bottle. Leave to infuse for at least one week before drinking.

Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Spice

50 ml | 2 oz cinnamon whiskey
100 ml | 4 oz chilled apple juice

Pour the whiskey and juice into a whiskey glass. Serve straight up or over ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or star anise, if you like.

Cinnamon Hot Whiskey

50 ml | 2 oz cinnamon whiskey
100 ml | 4 oz boiling water
1 tsp honey

Pour the whiskey into a heatproof glass. Add the boiling water and the honey. Stir until the honey is dissolved. Sip while still hot.

Cinnamon Whiskey & Cola

50 ml | 2 oz cinnamon whiskey
150 ml | 4 oz chilled cola

Pour the whiskey into a short highball glass. Add the cola, and ice if desired. Stir once or twice with a straw, then serve with the straw.

Cinnamon Manhattan

50 ml | 2 oz cinnamon whiskey
25 ml | 1 oz sweet (dark) vermouth
Angostura bitters
Thin piece of orange peel (without white pith), to garnish (optional)

Pour the cinnamon whiskey and vermouth into a Martini glass. Add a dash of angostura bitters (or more, but taste first!) and stir. Garnish with the orange peel.

PS: You don’t need me to tell you, but please drink responsibly! 🙂

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