Holiday Drink Recipe - "The Christmas Orange"

If you’ve ever run across vintage holiday artwork or read a classic Christmas storybook, you’ve probably seen Christmas oranges.

The nostalgic tradition of putting citrus fruit in the foot of Christmas stockings has a unique origin — more on that later — and just happened to be the inspiration for this week’s holiday drink recipe. Meet “The Christmas Orange.”

This bourbon cocktail is built for Christmas, with all kinds of citrusy, cinnamon-y goodness. It’s the perfect drink to make before you curl up by a cracking fire with a good leather-bound book — I recommend Fitzgerald’s “The Beautiful and Damned” no matter what time of year it is.

“The Christmas Orange” Cocktail Recipe

What You Need:

One orange, sliced and peeled
One apple, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preferred bourbon, we used Basil Hayden for this cocktail
Unsweetened cranberry juice
Ice

What You Do:

1. Peel and slice the fruit

2. Muddle oranges and apples in lowball glass — save one orange wedge for next step.

3. Add to shaker:

3oz bourbon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra
1 orange wedge
Splash of unsweetened cranberry juice

4. Stir 25 rotations

5. Pour over ice in lowball glass, garnish with orange peel and cinnamon stick, if desired. Enjoy!

A Brief History of Christmas Oranges

The orange originally became part of Christmastime tradition in the 1800s, around the same time that people began hanging stockings near the fire. Emily Spivack, Smithsonian.com writer, explained that the tradition of “hanging stockings by the chimney with care” dates back to at least the King George IV era, when when it is mentioned in the 1823 poem “Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas,” which is now known as the classic “’Twas The Night Before Christmas.”

Placing an orange in the toe of these stockings likely stems from the legend of the three balls of gold that the Bishop of Myra, the real Saint Nicholas, gave to three poor maidens to use as dowries, according to tradition. This Saint Nicholas was born at the end of the 3rd century, though his story is sometimes merged with another Saint Nicholas from the 6th century, according to research by Maria Alessia Rossi, postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University.

Primarily of European origin, the Christmas orange tradition was popularized in the United States during the Great Depression. During that era, many families could not afford many physical gifts, and oranges were an exotic treat, especially for those residing in cold regions.

Today, the concept of placing oranges in Christmas stockings has largely fallen out of fashion but this drink is a delicious way to celebrate the tradition!