This is one of our favorite cocktails for this time of year. It’s just so pretty. Aside from that, it’s delicious, and there’s the sentimental aspect to its origin, as well. For his birthday one year, a friend of ours got Kyle an infusing pitcher, for making fruit-flavored waters and teas. Naturally, he immediately put it to use making homemade infused liquors. One of his first creations was a fig-infused dark rum–and yes, it was as tasty as it sounds–from which the original version of this drink emerged. It was dubbed the “Fig-ettabout It” (you’re welcome), and instantly garnered a special place in our hearts. And our livers, of course.
This is a great holiday libation, with the flavors of dried figs, rosemary and vanilla bean. It’s dreamy and comforting with a nice layer of froth on top. Since the infusing process can take 2-3 weeks, we wanted to devise a way to speed up the process. Kyle being the resident ingredient genius, came up with the perfect solution. Literally. Instead of infusing the alcohol, he put the figs into the simple syrup with the rosemary. Like I said, genius.
We’ve made this cocktail in the past with rum and with bourbon, but the gluten free status of bourbons and whiskeys is still up for debate. Not only does the fig and rosemary syrup speed up the process, it also leaves you free to use whichever alcohol you please. The bourbon version is smokier, more “alcohol forward”, and overall more complex. The rum version brings out the sweeter molasses and dried fruit flavors. The choice is yours.
Another really great feature of this cocktail is that it utilizes classic, old school techniques in a very modern context. You will “dry shake” the ingredients without ice for a full minute, which will whip the egg whites into a rich, lovely froth. Make sure that you are using the freshest, pasteurized eggs you can get. If the thought makes you squeamish, remember that this is a classic preparation technique that has been around for decades. Don’t be a chicken. (See what I did there?) If that doesn’t help you, there are cartons of pasteurized egg whites sold in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets. Those would work fine and they keep for a while in the fridge. You can also use store bought sour mix in place of the lemon juice and egg white, but just know that taste and beauty of the drink will suffer, and we will weep for you. A lot. Cheers!
- For the Fig Syrup:
- 1 8-ounce package dried figs, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- For the Bourbon Fig Fizz (makes 1 cocktail)
- 2 ounces Bourbon
- 0.5 ounce Fig Syrup
- juice from half of a lemon
- one large egg white
- splash of club soda
- For the Fig Syrup:
- Place figs, rosemary, vanilla bean, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from heat, and let steep at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the Bourbon Fig Fizz:
- Place bourbon, fig syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for one minute, until mixture is very frothy.
- Add ice and shake for an additional 10 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into a martini or coupe glass. Add a splash of club soda.
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