Fig Cocktails: Sweet, Rich Fall Drinks for Every Spirit

Honeyed, jammy, and at their peak between late summer and early fall, figs are making a move from the cheese board to the cocktail shaker, and it turns out they’re perfect for it.

Continuing the fruity journey we started with pear cocktails, we’re getting stuck into fig drinks, with seven fig cocktail recipes to help you find out what all the fuss is about!

What figs bring to the glass

There are several ways to use figs in your cocktails, depending on the time of year.

Cocktails with fresh figs bring delicious hints of berries and caramel. But if you missed the season, we’ve got it FIG-ured out! Dried figs and fig preserves offer a concentrated, toffee-like sweetness, making them particularly good for infusions and spiced drinks in the winter months.

The fig toolkit: syrup, purée, and infusions

Fig syrup

Wondering how to make fig syrup for cocktails? Simmer 4 quartered fresh figs (or 3 chopped dried figs) with ⅔ cup water and ¾ cup granulated sugar for 10–15 minutes. Leave to cool, strain, and refrigerate. That’s your homemade fig syrup sorted!

For a greener twist with a hint of coconut, try making fig leaf syrup for your cocktail. Simply add a clean, untreated fig leaf from an edible fig tree to your warm sugar syrup, leave it to infuse for 10–15 minutes, then remove the leaf and let the syrup cool. Make sure the leaf is correctly identified and suitable for culinary use, and avoid contact with its irritating sap.

Love hitting that sweet spot? Check Out Our Complete Guide to Simple Syrups

Fig purée and fig jam

To make fresh fig purée for cocktails, simply blend the flesh of ripe figs and strain if you prefer a smoother texture. Perfect for sours! No fresh figs? No problem. A cocktail with fig jam is just a shake away. Add a bar spoon of fig jam straight into your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients, shake vigorously, and double-strain.

Fig liqueurs and fig-infused spirits

A splash of fig liqueur in a cocktail can add concentrated fruit flavor and sweetness without the need for extra syrup. Try a little in a whiskey-based drink or a brandy sour, or take the DIY route and make a cocktail with black fig-infused vodka.

Add 4–5 chopped dried or ripe black figs to 1 cup vodka, seal and leave in a cool, dark place for 3–5 days, tasting daily until it’s reached your desired intensity, before straining and serving.

Fig Vodka Fizz

A little sparkle never hurt anyone, and this fig vodka cocktail is a crowd-pleasing afternoon aperitivo for the end of summer!

SKYY Vodka (opens in new window) makes a lovely, clean base, allowing the fig syrup to shine in this fig and vodka drink recipe, while some fresh lemon cuts through the sweetness. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz SKYY Vodka
• 1 oz Fig syrup
• 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 2.5 oz Club soda
• Ice
• Fresh fig slice and lemon wheel to garnish

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add the vodka, fig syrup, and lemon juice
3. Stir gently to combine
4. Top with club soda and give it one final stir
5. Garnish with a fresh fig slice and lemon wheel

Fig Old Fashioned

This fig and bourbon cocktail is an autumnal twist on our classic Old Fashioned where the caramelly sweetness of figs feels right at home alongside Wild Turkey Bourbon (opens in new window), with bitters and orange keeping things balanced. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
• 0.5 oz Fig syrup or 1 bar spoon fig jam
• 2 dashes Aromatic bitters
• Ice
• Orange twist and fresh fig slice to garnish

Method

1. Add the bourbon, fig syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice
2. Stir until well chilled
3. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube
4. Express the orange twist over the drink to release its oils
5. Garnish with the orange twist and a fresh fig slice

If you’re using jam, mix it thoroughly with the bourbon first, then stir it with ice and fine-strain. And remember, the bourbon still does the heavy lifting here—if you need help, our guide to choosing the right whiskey for an Old Fashioned will help you find something to suit your tastes.

Fig Bee’s Knees

Bulldog London Dry Gin (opens in new window) brings a crisp botanical edge to this Prohibition-era classic, with fig syrup adding a fruity, indulgent twist. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Bulldog London Dry Gin (or Bickens (opens in new window) is a great alternative) 
• 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz Fig syrup
• 0.25 oz Honey syrup
• Ice
• Lemon twist or fresh fig slice to garnish

Method

1. Add the gin, lemon juice, fig syrup, and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker
2. Fill with ice and shake vigorously until chilled
3. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass
4. Garnish with a lemon twist or fresh fig slice

Our honey syrup recipe is worth bookmarking for this gin, fig, and honey cocktail.

Fig and Rosemary Brandy Sour

Rosemary’s fragrant, pine-like aroma paired with warming brandy makes this fig sour cocktail transport you to a crisp morning walk through the woods. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Brandy
• 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 0.75 oz Fig syrup
• 1 sprig Fresh rosemary
• 0.5 oz Pasteurized egg white (optional)
• Ice
• Rosemary sprig and fresh fig slice to garnish

Method

1. Gently clap the rosemary sprig between your palms to release its aroma
2. Add the brandy, lemon juice, fig syrup, rosemary, and optional egg white to a cocktail shaker
3. Shake without ice for 10 seconds if using egg white
4. Add ice and shake vigorously until chilled
5. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass
6. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig and fig slice

Too many options? Types of Brandy: A Complete Guide to the World’s Most Elegant Spirit

Fig and Sage Rum Smash

Sage advice: don’t save this herb for roast dinners. Paired with Appleton Estate Rum (opens in new window), muddled figs, and lime, it makes a deliciously earthy fig and sage rum cocktail with a refreshing kick.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Appleton Estate Rum
• 1 Ripe fig, quartered
• 0.75 oz Fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup
• 3 Fresh sage leaves
• Crushed ice
• Fresh fig wedge and sage sprig to garnish

Method

1. Add the fig quarters and sage leaves to a shaker and muddle gently
2. Pour in the rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
3. Add ice and shake briefly to combine
4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice
5. Garnish with a fresh fig wedge and sage sprig

Fig and Thyme Champagne Cocktail

This fig Champagne cocktail pairs the elegant bubbles of Champagne Lallier (opens in new window) with fig syrup and fragrant thyme. Fancy-looking, fuss-free, and ready in minutes.

Ingredients

• 0.5 oz Fig syrup
• 3.5 oz Chilled Champagne Lallier
• 1 Fresh thyme sprig
• Fresh fig wedge (small) to garnish

Method

1. Pour the fig syrup into a chilled Champagne flute
2. Gently add the Champagne, pouring slowly to preserve the bubbles
3. Give it a delicate stir to combine
4. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig and a small fig wedge on the rim

Sparkling fig mocktail

This non-alcoholic fig drink recipe combines rich fig syrup with zesty lemon and tonic for a sophisticated sip. Prefer something softer? Swap the tonic for sparkling water.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Fig syrup
• 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 3.5 oz Tonic water or sparkling water
• Ice
• Fresh fig wheel to garnish

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with ice
2. Add the fig syrup and lemon juice
3. Top with tonic water or sparkling water
4. Stir gently to combine
5. Garnish with a fresh fig wheel

Garnishing with figs like a pro

Want your drinks to make a fig entrance? Let’s explore some fig cocktail garnishes. Thin fig wheels look gorgeous on glass rims, while halved figs add drama to your Old Fashioned and beyond. Feeling fancy? Sprinkle a cut fig with sugar, caramelize it with a kitchen torch, and let it cool before serving.

Clean, untreated fig leaves make striking coasters for your cocktails or decorative fans for your table. And when it comes to food pairings, a cheese board is a natural match for the sweetness of fig cocktails.

Want to balance out all that sweetness? 15 Savory Cocktails: Bold Flavors to Transform Your Drinks Game

There you have it! Figs for all occasions: as a cocktail garnish, syrup, or even a vodka infusion. So grab your fruit basket and cocktail shaker, and get mixing! Keep browsing The Mixer for more seasonal cocktail inspiration.