Fig Cardamom Gin Old Fashioned Cocktail

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• It’s easy to make!
• The simple syrup can be used to make more cocktails and will last a month
• The cocktail is beautiful
• The cardamom and fig flavors are subtle and intriguing.
• This is a great cocktail for gin lovers!

What is an Old Fashioned?

An Old Fashioned is one of the most well-know of the whiskey cocktails you can order. Without getting too historical, the foundation for the old fashioned began in the early 1700s in England. Using a spirit, bitters, water and sugar was out there, but it wasn’t called anything. In the early 1800s in the United States it was referenced as well, using gin or whiskey. By the late 1800s, people wanted an “old fashioned” cocktail with whiskey, water, sugar, and bitters. So, the classic rendition of the “old fashioned” really came about by name in the United States in the late 1800s and is currently the most popular cocktail worldwide.

Making an Old Fashioned with gin was once a thing before its popularity with whiskey, so we decided to try this gin cocktail with Empress 1908 Indigo Gin and it absolutely works beautifully in this drink! The botanicals are perfectly subtle here and the drink is balanced and delicious. Of course we opted for lemon bitters as well as an exotic flair of fig and cardamom flavors. This ginny riff on the classic old fashioned really creates an enchanting and tasty cocktail.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this recipe:

• Sugar & Water: For this recipe, we use a 1:1 ratio of white granulated sugar to water (1 part sugar and 1 part water) for the base of the simple syrup.
• Dried Figs: One of the flavorings for this simple syrup, dried figs are easy to find and really add the main flavor to this syrup 
• Cardamom: The green variety of cardamom works the best here and imparts an exotic and subtle flavor to the simple syrup
• Empress 1908 Indigo Gin: The color and flavor of this botanical gin is absolutely perfect for a wide variety of cocktails and especially delicious here
• Lemon Bitters: These provide a better balance than traditional bitters and are widely available
• Meyer Lemon Zest: A very light spritz from the meyer lemon peel to extract the oils at the end livens up the cocktail, replacing the traditional orange zest. Meyer lemon is a cross between a mandarin giving it a unique flavor.
• Fresh Figs: Optional, as a garnish but adds an extra touch of beauty to the final drink.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Meyer Lemon: You could certainly use orange here, but if you aren’t using meyer lemon, normal lemons work well also.
• Green Cardamom: We prefer this here, but the larger, brown cardamom pods can be used, which will create a different flavor profile.
• Lemon Bitters: Orange bitters or angostura bitters are good substitutes and are common with traditional old fashioned cocktails

How to Make a Fig Cardamom Gin Old Fashioned

The simple syrup can be made ahead of time and isn’t that difficult to prepare. Plus it lasts a month in the fridge! The cocktail itself comes together in a snap with minimal effort!

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this recipe

• Mixing glass
• Bar spoon
• Rocks glass / old fashioned glass / or the ones we have pictured
• Large Format Ice Cube maker (Optional, but easily makes the clear large cube of ice at home pictured)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Simple Syrup

• Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan with 10 dried figs (halved) and 6 whole green cardamom pods. Bring to a boil then simmer until sugar has dissolved completely. Let cool, then pour syrup through a fine sieve (discard solids) and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Create the Cocktail

• Combine all ingredients for the final cocktail in a mixing glass (no ice) and stir to combine. 
• Pour over a large format ice cube into an old fashioned glass. Express the zest from a Meyer lemon peel over the drink and serve. Garnish with a lemon meyer peel and a halved fresh fig if desired.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• You could swap star anise with cardamom in the simple syrup if you prefer that flavor. It will create a nice alternative that is still balanced and not overpowering.
• Use different bitters if desired to alter the flavor in a subtle but noticeable way. Cardamom, Angostura, orange, cherry, grapefruit, and lime bitters can all work well in this cocktail.

Storage

How to store homemade simple syrup:

• This simple syrup has a 1:1 sugar to water ratio, so it can be stored in the fridge for up to one month. It can be frozen as well and will last longer.

Make a Large Batch

• You can make a larger batch of this cocktail to easily serve to a crowd. Simply combine as many servings of the drink and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

What appetizers to serve with a Fig Cardamom Gin Old Fashioned 

We think this is very much a personal preference and you can really go any way with this. If serving this drink at a cocktail party, consider making our popular Asparagus and Mushroom Cheese Soufflé Bites or Cranberry Serrano Glazed Meatballs.