Bourbon is one of my favourite liquors and you can’t go wrong with an old fashioned. There are few ingredients needed, a nice balance of bitter and sweet and it’s a great canvas for other flavours like the ones I’ve added here.

There’s something about this that feels winter-y. Maybe because it’s fresh fig season? Maybe because an old fashioned will always warm you up on a cold day? Either way, by juj-ing it up with a fig-balsamic simple syrup it feels special enough to serve at a holiday gathering or celebration (even if it’s just a party for two).

I highly recommend also treating yourself to some fancy flavoured bitters. My go-to are Cardamom ones, and they add great flavour to traditional old fashioned, sours and highballs. They’re also from one of my favourite neighbourhood shops Labour of Love, so it’s a great excuse to shop local.

If you're a bourbon lover, I hope that you try this, and if you’re new to old fashioned-drinking, I hope this sways you.

Fig-Balsamic & Black Pepper Old Fashioned

For the Fig Syrup:
1 cup of dried figs, sliced in half

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

For the Old Fashioned:

bourbon ( I like Bulleit or Maker’s Mark)

bitters

fig syrup

freshly cracked black pepper

1. To make the fig syrup: Combine the figs, sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes or more. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Return liquid to the saucepan and bring to a simmer again over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and thickens by about a third. This should take 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Pour the syrup into a heat-proof jar and set aside to cool. Syrup will keep in a covered contained in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

2. To make one old fashioned: Add a one large ice cube in a rocks glass. Add in 2 oz of bourbon, 2-3 dashes of bitters, 1/2 ounce of the fig syrup, and stir well using a cocktail stirrer or spoon. Garnish with a couple cracks of black pepper and a sprig of rosemary or an orange peel.