Fig Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

The Fig Old Fashioned is a spirit-forward bourbon cocktail flavored with fig. The cozy bourbon cocktail is made with just three ingredients and is served in a rocks glass over one large ice cube.

A riff on a classic Old Fashioned, this drink swaps the traditional sugar cube or simple syrup for a homemade caramelized fig syrup. Since figs are only in season in the summer months, reconstituted dried figs serve as the base for this syrup.

During the drying process, the flavor and sweetness of the figs concentrate. This helps yield a full-flavored, truly figgy syrup. And as the syrup cooks, it takes on a touch of bitterness. Because of this, the Fig Old Fashioned calls for a bit more sweetener than is typically used in an Old Fashioned. 

Why the Fig Old fashioned works

The Old Fashioned is an iconic cocktail for many reasons, one of which is its simplicity. The blend of a sugary sweetener, bourbon, and Angostura bitters yields a deceptively complex drink, given its few ingredients. 

While the Fig Old Fashioned takes a bit more prep time, the flavors still shine through. Bourbon’s vanilla and caramel notes amplify the rich sweetness of the syrup. The spirit also contains notes of baking spices like clove and cinnamon, which add complexity to the cocktail. 

A few dashes of Angostura bitters cut through the sweet notes of the syrup and bourbon. Serving this drink over a large ice cube will help avoid overdilution.