Ogden's Old Firewhiskey

Intro: Ogden's Old Firewhiskey

Favored by the mighty and the meek the wizarding world over, Ogden's Old Firewhiskey will put hairs on your chest or at least a smoldering sensation in your belly. This whiskey is aged in barrels that have been toasted by dragonfire which imbues the barrel wood with deep magic, granting the drinker bravery in the face of metaphorical fire.
Or something like that.

I was inspired to create this libation after reading about it in Harry Potter. I remember dissolving red hots in vodka and apple cider in my college days. So I pulled out the red hots, dusted them off (ok, I bought fresh at Wal-Mart), and tossed them into some whiskey. Then I added cinnamon sticks to create the whole cinnamon round-up of flavor. It's spicy and warm--perfect for cool Autumn nights and Halloween in particular.

STEP 1: The Stuff

Whiskey* -- your favorite brand
Red Hot Cinnamon Candy -- about 6-7 candies per ounce whiskey
Coffee Filter and Holder
3-4 large cinnamon sticks

*You can use Scotch, Irish Whiskey, Bourbon, Canadian Whiskey; blended or straight--It's entirely up to you. I used the cheapest bourbon I will drink straight-up but you can go wherever you'd like on the quality/price spectrum. Follow the rule of thumb with liqueurs and infusions: don't use it if you wouldn't drink it straight-up.

STEP 2: The Process

Find a clean glass container with a lid such as a bottle or mason jar. You can also use the bottle your spirits originally came in--you just have to take a few swigs to make room for the candy. Measure how much you are adding and be sure to leave at least 1/10th of the container empty.

For every ounce of whiskey, add 6-7 red hot candies to your container. I used a 750 ml (about 25oz when full) bottle of bourbon, poured out about 1/2 cup, and added 135 red hot candies. Shake your container occasionally. It only takes a few hours for the candy to dissolve.

The candies are coated with carnuba wax so, once the candy is dissolved, you'll want to filter it through a coffee filter to keep the whiskey smooth.

Bottle the filtered whiskey and drop the cinnamon sticks in the bottle. Leave them in there one week or more. You can also keep them in the bottle indefinitely.

Optional: Label your bottle.  (I decided to label it "Ogden's Olde...", with an "e" in the "Olde" because it seemed more appropriate, though the name of it from Harry Potter fame does not include the "e.")

STEP 3: Labeling

I have had some interest in the label on the bottle. My daughter designed dragon on the label. She is a kid but a very good graphic and comic artist.

Either print this label onto paper with a parchment design or age it yourself using the instructions I've posted here: Aged Paper Labels. Seal the front using acrylic sealer, Modge Podge (if you are using that to adhere it to the bottle), or simply rub with candle wax. The label can be added to a bottle using craft glue, Modge Podge, or spray adhesive.

STEP 4: How to Take Your Firewhiskey

You can, of course, drink your Ogden's straight-up. Other options include:
Fire and Ice - Ogden's layered in a shot glass with Irish Cream
Spattergroit - Odgden's added to cranberry juice
The Hungarian Horntail - Ogden's added to hot cider
The Mediwizard - Ogden's added to Dr. Pepper
The Time Turner - Ogden's added to cold sweet tea
The Collapsed Cauldron - Ogden's added to hot tea
The Red Eye - Ogden's added to hot coffee

Comments

[don34685]

Sounds great! Gotta try it.

I was in Anchorage, Alaska and went in to a bar where their signature drink was Cinnamon Schnaps with Tabasco - they started you with a couple drops then added more if you were so inclined. Sure kept the cold out! Went home and bought a dozen shot glasses so I could share it with all my friends.

[starshipminivan]

That sounds really good! I'm going to have to try Tabasco with it. Did they have a name for the drink?

[njreyn]

When I was stationed in Fairbanks (late 80s, early 90s) there was a bar that sold them under the imaginative title of "Red Hots."

[spidersong]

YES. I made this and shared about a shot each with my suitemates; they got annoyed when I stopped sharing after that! Definitely making it again, and definitely not getting over-eager next time and drinking it before the cinnamon's had a week to stew in there.

[boocat]

Couldn't you just use some Cinnamon Oil from a cooking shop or health food store?

[deborah.hale.39]

I've made "Red Hots Vodka" a couple of times (I'm determined to make flavored vodka with ALL of the hard candies in vodka eventually) and the remnants of non-dissolvable solids that wind up in the bottom of the bottle are barely noticeable the next day (although you could certainly pour through a coffee filter if you have the desire). I use a 6 oz. package of Red Hots to a 1.75 liter of vodka and still have a couple of packages at hand for doing this - all of my housemates are big fans of Harry Potter so Ogden's Olde Firewhiskey will be quite popular as Christmas gifts!

Thank you so much!

[Crucio]

This looks great! I can hardly wait to try making some!

[l8nite]

I really like your label and although I'm not sure of cinnamon flavored bourbon/whiskey, I'm definitely going to try this with vodka and maybe rum

[adrofig]

Hey can you provide a PDF of the label?

[starshipminivan]

Yes, as soon as I find the file. It seems to have disappeared on me. I forgot that magic and technology don't like to mix.

[ksantos6]

OMG I need that label you created! please please please tell me you still have it?! If Not I will commission it from you! I want to make this recipe for my friend's birthday and that label would be the icing on the cake. I can't find any label that even compares to it!

[starshipminivan]

I found the label and added a step including the graphic. It's a PNG file. I hope that works for people. If not, let me know and I'll add it in another format.

[starshipminivan]

It tastes similar to Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. You might consider getting one of the little 50ml bottles of it if you're unsure or curious. I considered simply relabeling a bottle of Fireball for our Halloween party but it sounded fun to experiment and try to create my own version of this drink found in the Harry Potter books.

[l8nite]

Maybe I have to look more when I go to grab a bottle because I've never seen Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey but you're right, I do need to at least try it with a small batch. I read all the HP books and never noticed this detail, maybe it's time to reread the series.....

[zac_9687]

dont feel too bad. i dont remember it either. ive been meaning to read them again for a while now. ill take this as a sign from above lol. great ible though. im really gonna have to try this one out

[indyjoe]

spattergroit is a sickness not a drink

[starshipminivan]

I'm a big fan of the series and am aware of this. In the tradition of strange (including medical) cocktail names, I was inspired to name the drink after the fictional malady.

[kage_no_mozaiku]

can you use like....one or two crushed up cinnamon jolly ranchers/oz?

[starshipminivan]

Yes. I'm not sure how many it will take but you can certainly try to use them, taste the results, and add more as needed.

[kage_no_mozaiku]

ok brill. i thought it might make things easier since they have no waxy coating on them.