Well, well, well, what do we have here? A COCKTAIL!? For the first time in 2024, I’m quenching your thirst with a fresh cocktail recipe. Enabled by my friends at Basil Hayden who sent me a truly luxurious PR package – a bottle of Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon, two lovely coupe glasses from Anthropologie, a candle and table linens – all packaged in a stunning wooden trunk – I whipped up this Fig Bourbon Sour.
Fig and thyme are one of my favourite fall flavour pairings – as evidenced in past recipes like this Fig & Thyme Sidecar and this Warm Fig & Brie Tart with Walnut Crust (a truly decadent Thanksgiving starter if you’ve begun menu planning for the upcoming holiday).
In this recipe, I’m amplifying the figgy flavour by infusing my Basil Hayden bourbon with freshly chopped figs. The infusion is straightforward, simply chop two large figs and add them to a mason jar, top with 1 cup of bourbon and muddle until the fruit is pulpy. Let stand for 1 hour, shaking occasionally, and strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve. Voila!
While it was challenging making and shooting this cocktail while hobbling around with my right leg still in an air-cast after rupturing my Achilles tendon in early August, it was also deeply fulfilling. When I neglect my creative pursuits, I often feel frustrated or pent up. It took a minute to knock the rust off but once I got comfortable behind the camera again, I was feeling inspired. I also filmed a reel and Virtual Happy Hour episode for this cocktail which I’ll be sharing on Instagram – be sure to tune into my Stories and head to the feed for the reel.
That being said, all that moving around on Sunday might have gotten the better of me. By the end of the day I had somehow managed to throw my back out. Limping around like Richard III has created a lot of instability in my kinetic chain and I’ve been experiencing debilitating lower back pain since Sunday. Luckily, I have an amazing athletic therapist who was able to work out some of the knots and give me exercises to help recover my core strength and even things out. Prescribed painkillers and muscle relaxants are helping too but I can’t wait to get back to normal.
Word to the wise, don’t rupture your Achilles tendon – it’s a long and often demoralizing road to recovery. It’s so frustrating to not be able to go for a walk on a sunny day, drive, and complete other basic tasks with ease.
I should be able to remove the air-cast in October and begin the process of learning how to walk again, get back in the gym, and get through a full day of shooting content painlessly. Until then, I’ll continue trying to develop new cocktails, share more of our home renovations, and develop some gluten-free recipes when I’m feeling up to it.
In this cocktail, the thyme syrup offers a refreshing herbal counterpoint to the fig-infused bourbon. It’s a simple combination of 1 cup water, 1 cup golden yellow sugar and a fistful of fresh thyme. Combine in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before straining off the solids and storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
The egg white adds a frothy texture and cuts the acidity of the lemon. In sum, this is a very enjoyable riff on the classic sour. Let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Fig Bourbon Sour
A classic bourbon sour gets an autumnal twist a fig-infused bourbon and thyme syrup.
- 2 oz fig-infused Basil Hayden bourbon
- ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ¾ oz thyme syrup
- 1 egg white
- 4 drops fig & cinnamon bitters OR Angostura aromatic bitters
- Garnish: 1 fig half
- 2 figs, chopped
- 1 cup bourbon
- 1 cup golden yellow sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup fresh thyme sprigs
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Add all ingredients, excluding bitters and garnish, to a shaker and dry shake (without ice).
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Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.
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Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
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Garnish with four drops of garnish. In a single continuous motion, drag a toothpick or cocktail pick through the drops of bitters to create heart shapes. Perch one half of a fresh fig on the rim of the glass.
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Add chopped figs and bourbon to a mason jar. Muddle until figs are pulpy.
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Infuse for one hour, shaking occasionally.
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Strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve and store in an an airtight container.
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Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently.
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Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 10 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened.
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Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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Remove solids and fine strain into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
