Need a fall cocktail to add to your repertoire? I’ve got just the one for you. It’s made with my favorite spirit, bourbon, and three of my favorite ingredients of the season- apple cider, figs and rosemary. It’s sweet, a little tart and has a wonderfully warm note from the fig, rosemary and honey infused simple syrup. But don’t let the word infused or the fact you have to make a simple syrup deter you from making this. Because it really is simple and doesn’t take much time at all.

In case you aren’t familiar, the Whiskey Smash is a classic cocktail that apparently dates back all the way to the late 1800’s and somewhat resembles a Mint Julep in that it is made with fresh mint muddled with bourbon whiskey with the addition of lemon juice. I’ve kept the bourbon and lemon juice here but changed it up a bit by adding seasonal fruit like apple and figs and used rosemary instead of mint. And then topped it off with just a touch of fizzy club soda to add some lightness. All together, these ingredients taste like fall in a glass. And if you can’t get your hands on fresh figs, dried figs would work well too. A fresh apple slice or fresh or dried fig, a cinnamon stick and an extra sprig of rosemary to finish it off make this one beautiful cocktail too.

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Autumn Bourbon Smash

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 3 oz. bourbon whiskey, chilled
• 3 oz apple cider.chilled
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsps fig-rosemary simple syrup
• 1/4 cup club soda (optional)

For Garnish-

• cinnamon sticks
• rosemary sprigs
• fig or apple slices

For the Fig-Rosemary Simple Syrup

• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh figs (dried can work too)
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Instructions

For the Fig-Rosemary Simple Syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients for the syrup and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer a minute while stirring until the honey is combined.

2. Turn the heat off and let steep for about 30-45 minutes. Then strain into a jar and set aside to cool. Once cooled, cover and store in the refrigerator. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.

For the cocktail:

1. Add the bourbon, apple cider, lemon juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker or glass measuring cup with a little ice. Stir well to combine. Taste for sweetness, then pour into two glasses filled with ice. Top with an ounce or two of club soda if desired and garnish with a rosemary sprig, cinnamon stick and fig or apple slice.