Get extra holly jolly with a fruitcake old fashioned

A fruit- and nut-infused, browned butter-washed bourbon gives this cocktail enough warmth to melt even the meanest Grinch’s heart.

Written by Lauren J. Mapp

It’s the holiday season, and nothing gets me out of my end-of-year slump quite like creating themed cocktail recipes.

This year, I drew inspiration from fruitcake, also known as everyone’s favorite Christmas dessert to hate.

I can’t tell you the last time I ate — or even saw — a fruitcake outside of my Sims 4 housewarming parties, but I’ve always liked the idea of them. As a never-ending fan of classic cocktails and all things bourbon, I blended the festive holiday treat with my favorite drink: the old fashioned.

If you plan to craft this cocktail for the holidays, start your whiskey infusion today — prepping it takes six days, and Santa Claus’ arrival is imminent.

To make my Fruitcake Old Fashioned, start by building a brown butter-washed fruitcake bourbon using your favorite brand, like Basil Hayden. While toasted pecans, cinnamon, cardamom, orange peel and dried fruit bring holiday warmth, the browned butter smooths the bourbon’s edges, adding rich, nutty depth and a silky viscosity that coats the palate.

Once the infusion is ready, prepare the cocktail by stirring it with dark brown sugar simple syrup, a few dashes of both pineapple and fig bitters, and a scoop of ice before straining over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. I buy Ms. Better Bitter’s Pineapple Star Anise Bitters, Bitter Queens Auntie Krampus Naughty Figgy Bitters, beautiful glassware, and crystal clear ice cubes or spheres from Collins & Coupe on El Cajon Boulevard.

To make a non-alcoholic version of the brown butter-washed fruitcake bourbon, use a zero-proof spirit like Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon and follow all the same infusion steps. My substitutes for zero-proof bitters in this cocktail are All the Bitters’ orange bitters and fig and walnut bitters.

Both Kentucky 74 and All the Bitters orange bitters are available at Monday Morning in Pacific Beach, and All the Bitters fig and walnut bitters can be purchased online.

Fruitcake Old Fashioned

2 oz. Brown Butter-Washed Fruitcake Bourbon Infusion
1/4 oz. Dark Brown Sugar Syrup
4 dashes Ms. Better Bitter’s Pineapple Star Anise Bitters
2 dashes Bitter Queens Naughty Figgy Bitters
1 Luxardo Cherry, garnish
Orange peel, garnish

Place a large ice cube in a rocks glass and set aside.

In a mixing glass, pour fruitcake bourbon, dark brown sugar syrup and pineapple bitters. Add in a scoop of ice, then use a bar spoon to stir for about 15-25 seconds until the outside of the glass is chilled.

Strain the mixture into a rocks glass using a hawthorne strainer. Garnish with a peel of orange and a Luxardo cherry to serve.

Brown Butter-Washed Fruitcake Bourbon Infusion

2 cups Bourbon (I used Basil Hayden) or an alcohol-free alternative
1 cup Whole Pecans
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 tablespoon Whole Cardamom Pods
1 tablespoon Dried Bing Cherries
2 tablespoons Dried Cranberries
1 Navel Orange, peel only
8 tablespoons Salted Irish Butter (I use Kerrygold)

Start by toasting the cinnamon stick and whole pecans in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the nuts are slightly browned (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add in cardamom pods, and stir for one more minute, then remove from heat. Let cool, then add nuts and spices to a widemouth, glass pint jar.

Add cherries, cranberries and the peel from a whole navel orange to the jar, then pour in the bourbon. Screw on a lid, and store the jar in a cool dark place like a kitchen cupboard for four to five days. Make sure to swirl the contents of the jar at least twice daily.

By day five, strain the contents of the jar through a mesh strainer into a pint measuring cup, then pour into a clean jar and set aside.

In a cast iron skillet, heat the salted Irish butter over medium heat until it melts. Turn heat down to medium low, and keep cooking for about five minutes until it gains a golden brown hue, smells nutty and starts to foam. Remove from heat and let cool for about 20 minutes.

Add cooled butter — including browned bits — to the bourbon infusion, and screw a lid on. Let the mixture sit on the counter, swirling every 20 minutes or so for two hours. Place the jar in the freezer for 24 hours or until the fat has solidified.

Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth to remove solidified butter. Next gently pour the butter-washed bourbon into a clean pint measuring cup through a coffee filter to remove excess fats.

After a week of work, you’ll have a brown butter-washed, fruitcake-infused bourbon ready to use! Store in a clean, empty bottle at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Dark Brown Sugar Syrup

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Water

Pour dark brown sugar and water into a small sauce pan. Cook over medium low heat, whisking gently until the sugar is fully incorporated into the water. Bring to a low simmer, then remove from heat and let cool. Transfer into a clean bottle, and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

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