I never would have thought that the delicate flavor of fresh fig could stand up to bourbon, but indeed I am wrong.

Last week I had a fantastic cocktail at a bourbon-themed bar (300 different varieties of the drink on the menu!). It was made in with crushed ice, a shot of bourbon, fresh fig puree, ginger ale, a splash of club soda, and garnished with a twist of lemon rind. Very fall. Very good. Will be trying this at home.

Here’s my best guess at the how-to:

Fall Fig Cocktail

Make about two cups of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water; bring to a boil for one minute). Then, take a pint of fresh figs and cut them into quarters. Soak the fig quarters in the warm syrup, letting cool in the refrigerator overnight (or a couple of day if you have time). Then pour the mixture into your blender and puree. Then, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. (Or, if you don’t mind the seeds, don’t bother straining it.) Voila—the fig puree!

Now, in a highball glass filled with ice, combine a two or three of ounces of fig puree and an ounce of bourbon. Top the rest of the glass off with a 50/50 blend of ginger ale and club soda. Give it a good stir and garnish with a lemon twist.

Filed Under: Wine & Libations