This Strawberry Cardamom Old Fashioned keeps the bourbon-and-bitters backbone intact, then shifts the mood with ripe strawberry and the floral, aromatic lift of cardamom. It is still unmistakably an Old Fashioned. But it trades the usual brown-sugar-and-orange lane for something brighter, more fragrant, and spring-forward.

Quick Summary

The Strawberry Cardamom Old Fashioned is a bourbon cocktail made with cardamom infused strawberry syrup, Angostura, and cardamom bitters. It keeps the weight and simplicity of an Old Fashioned, but opens it up with berry fruit and warm spice. This is a strong choice for bourbon drinkers who want something seasonal, stirred, and a little unexpected without losing the bones of the original.

Why This Strawberry Cardamom Old Fashioned Works

strawberry cardamom old fashioned in a rocks glass with ice and a strawberry garnish against a black background

This drink works because it respects the structure of an Old Fashioned while changing the flavor architecture in a meaningful (and interesting) way.

Bourbon gives you the familiar frame: vanilla, caramel, oak, and enough body to hold a stirred drink together. The syrup makes it interesting. Strawberry can go childish fast in cocktails if it reads like candy or puree, but in fresh, uncooked syrup form, especially when balanced with cardamom, it can bring a softer, more nuanced kind of fruit. Think less strawberry jam, and more fragrant fresh strawberry tart.

Cardamom is the reason this drink feels like more than a fruity Old Fashioned. It brings cardamom’s intense floral perfume rather than heavy spice. Not cinnamon warmth, not clove density. Cardamom has a fresher, more aromatic energy that cuts through bourbon’s richness and makes strawberry feel more grown up.

The bitters matter too. Angostura gives the drink its necessary spine. It adds bitter structure and familiar baking-spice depth echoing the flavors of the bourbon. But the cardamom bitters reinforce the syrup’s aromatic profile and stretch the finish. The result is a drink that feels rooted and surprising at once. That is hard to pull off in an Old Fashioned riff.

How the Flavor Evolves

The first sip leads with bourbon and a little cardamom aroma. Before the strawberry fully registers, you usually notice the spice on the nose. If the garnish is fresh and fragrant, the whole drink feels brighter before it even hits the palate.

On the palate, the strawberry reads as soft sweetness rather than sharp fruit. Then the cardamom starts to bloom. It gives the drink a lifted, almost floral aromatic edge that changes how the bourbon lands. And the bitters keep a little tension running through it.

As dilution builds, the strawberry integrates further into the bourbon and the cardamom becomes more seamless. The drink loses some of its edges and the berry and bourbon combine effortlessly. What starts as a surprise becomes a more fully knit Old Fashioned variation. The finish stays lightly spiced, with berry and oak trailing behind a cardmom resonance rather than fighting for attention.

What You’ll Need

Bourbon
Strawberry cardamom syrup
Angostura bitters
Cardamom bitters
Fresh strawberry for garnish
Ice
Rocks glass
Mixing glass, bar spoon, and strainer

Strawberry Cardamom Syrup

This syrup gives the drink its signature twist. The strawberries bring ripe, soft fruit, while the cardamom adds a cool, aromatic spice that keeps the sweetness from feeling flat or predictable.

To make it, combine sugar with sliced strawberries. Add 8 cracked cardamom pods, then let the mixture sit for 12 to 24 hours. In cooler weather, you can leave it on the counter. In summer, refrigerate it instead. Once the strawberries have released their juices and the sugar has dissolved, strain out the solids and pour the syrup into a glass bottle. Store it in the refrigerator.

A quick note: the longer it sits, the more pronounced the cardamom becomes. I like checking it around the 12-hour mark so the spice stays lifted and fragrant rather than too dominant. Because you are using it in small quantities in the drink, you do want the cardamom and berry notes to be striking, but not overwhelming.

Tips & Tricks for a Better Old Fashioned

Use a bourbon with fruity or berry notes to tie in to the flavors. A thin oaky bourbon will fight the flavors.
Keep the syrup measured. Too much and the drink turns from structured to dessert-like.
Stir long enough to chill and dilute, about 20 seconds, but do not rush it. This drink needs integration.
Cardamom bitters are the secret sauce here. While I don’t use mine frequently, for drinks like this, they elevate the cardamom aromatics in the drink without adding more sweetness.
Garnish with a strawberry that actually smells like something. A cold, flavorless berry adds nothing.
Use a large format ice cube if you have one – it will keep the drink cleaner longer.

Variations to Try

Use rye instead of bourbon: This makes the drink spicier, drier, and a little more angular.
Add an expressed lemon peel: This lifts the nose and makes the strawberry feel fresher and less jammy.
Swap cardamom bitters for orange bitters: The drink becomes more familiar and slightly less aromatic.
Use a darker, richer strawberry syrup that’s infused for several days: This pushes the cocktail toward a deeper, more aromatic and dessert-like profile.
Swap out cardamom for lavender: If you don’t have any cardamom, try a lavender infusion of the syrup instead of cardamom. But watch the infusion, lavender can infuse fast!

Other Old Fashioned Riffs to Try

closeup strawberry cardamom old fashioned in a rocks glass with ice and a strawberry garnish against a black background

Recommended Bar Tools

You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:

You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case: