Old fashioned cocktails once used gin as their main ingredient. That was over a century ago, and now whiskey is the predominant spirit used in an old fashioned. But we wanted to bring the gin back here with Empress 1908 Indigo Gin for a beautiful, and tasty cocktail! By using a fig and cardamom simple syrup, this cocktail has character and delivers on wowing the taste buds!

Looking for more cocktail recipes like this? Try out our Spiced Pomegranate and Rosemary Gin Spritz.
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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.
Top Tip
Large format ice cubes significantly elevate these types of cocktails, so finding a good mold (like this) is a great idea.
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.
FAQ
There are a few, but none as similar as the Manhattan. Both are made with whiskey, but the Manhattan has sweet vermouth instead of simple syrup.
Traditionally it is made with whiskey. The whiskey can be just about anything but usually it is bourbon. However, when the cocktail was in its infancy, gin was very common. It also can be made with brandy, but this is somewhat uncommon. There are so many modernizations on cocktails now that there is always room to try things!
Traditional old fashioned cocktails are definitely whiskey-forward as there are not many ingredients to water down or dilute the alcohol in the drink, such as soda water or fruit juices.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite appetizers to serve with this cocktail:
📖 Recipe

Fig Cardamom Gin Old Fashioned Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
FIG CARDAMOM SIMPLE SYRUP
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 10 dried figs halved
- 6 green cardamom pods whole but gently cracked
FIG CARDAMOM GIN OLD FASHIONED
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- 3 teaspoon fig cardamom simple syrup
- 2 dashes lemon bitters
- Meyer lemon peel
- Fresh figs for garnish optional
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.
Make the Cocktail
- Combine all ingredients for the final cocktail in a mixing glass with ice and stir for about 30 seconds.
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition

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