I’ve loved a good whiskey sour since college, when I considered it a rather fancy drink reserved for special occasions. My cocktail repertoire has expanded considerably since then, but I still have a soft spot for that balance of sweet and tart. This Fig Jam Bourbon Sour gives an old favorite a lovely autumnal twist.

I used Old Forester bourbon and Dalmatia Fig Spread, which adds mellow fruit and just enough sweetness to balance the freshly squeezed lemon juice. A couple of dashes of Angostura bitters round things out. Fig jam or fig spread—either name works here, and either earns its place at the bar.

There’s one small but important step: stir the jam with the bourbon, lemon juice and bitters before adding ice. This helps break up the jam so it disperses throughout the cocktail rather than staying in one stubborn clump. Add ice, give it a vigorous shake, then double strain through your shaker’s strainer and a fine-mesh sieve. That second straining catches lingering bits of jam and fig seeds for a smoother sip.

Taste before serving. If you’d prefer a little more sweetness, add a bit more fig spread, simple syrup or honey. Stir well to dissolve your addition and shake again before straining.

I served mine on the rocks over one large ice cube, although a chilled coupe would be equally lovely. The setting had a fall hunting/chasing theme: cocktail napkins featuring a horse and foxhounds, plus a rabbit on the glass if you look closely. Apparently, even my glassware wanted to join the outing.

Wondering what to do with the rest of that jar of fig jam? My Boursin Cheese and Fig Dip is a crowd favorite that people regularly request when I’m bringing an appetizer. A jar minus a tablespoon or two still makes a generous topping for the cheese. An easy cocktail and a much-loved appetizer from the same jar—that’s my kind of multitasking.

Fig Jam Bourbon Sour

A figgy twist on bourbon

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Course Drink

Servings 1

Ingredients

2 ounces bourbon
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon fig jam
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish with an orange twist or thin slice of fresh fig

Instructions

Add bourbon, lemon juice, fig jam and bitters to a cocktail shaker. Stir to loosen the jam.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds, until well chilled.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice, preferably one large cube.
Garnish with a fig slice or orange twist, if desired.

Notes

I used Dalmatia Fig Spread. Fig jams (or spreads) vary in sweetness. Taste the cocktail before serving; if it’s too tart, add 1/4 ounce simple syrup, honey or a little more jam and shake again.
The fine-mesh sieve catches fig seeds and pieces of fruit for a smoother drink.
You can also serve it straight up in a chilled coupe.