Well, the “frost is on the punkin” so we harvested all of our pumpkins and squash last week. While pumpkin pies and squash & sausage dishes are great, there is no better way to truly celebrate the pumpkin harvest than with a Pumpkin Bourbon Martini.
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DIY Pumpkin Shrub Syrup:
We used several of the “Cinderella” (aka Rouge d’Temps) pumpkins to make a Fall shrub syrup in the kitchen, and then leveled up the cocktail with a premium bourbon. Our favorite bourbon comes from Flaviar, but you can use any of your favorites.
Here are the simple directions for If you want to make your own shrub syrup to add to your pumpkin martini:
- heat together equal parts of cooked pumpkin, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and some of your favorite pumpkin spices.
- If using whole spices, bring the mixture to a quick boil and then turn off the heat, cover and let the spices infuse for 1/2 hour up to several hours.
- Strain and enjoy. Vinegar and sugar are preservatives, so it should keep for 3-4 months at least.
More Craft Cocktails
Unique Martinis can be made with any number of shrub syrups or simple syrups. More detailed directions for making your own shrub syrups can be found here. The blueberry martini or the tomato martini are two that are sure to please:
Pumpkin Martini
Equipment
- small plate for rimming sugar
Ingredients
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- maple sugar for rimming glass
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 1 ½ oz pumpkin shrub syrup (see notes for DIY syrup)
- ½ oz vanilla liqueur
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Instructions
- Rim the glass with a lemon wedge and dip the rimmed glass into maple sugar. Into a shaker full of ice, add the bourbon, the pumpkin shrub, the vanilla liqueur and the bitters.1 lemon, maple sugar for rimming glass, 2 oz. bourbon, 1 1/2 oz pumpkin shrub syrup, 1/2 oz vanilla liqueur, 2 dashes orange bitters
- Shake until chilled (about 10 seconds), and strain into the maple-sugar-rimmed glass.
Notes
- heat together equal parts of cooked pumpkin, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and some of your favorite pumpkin spices.
- If using whole spices, bring the mixture to a quick boil and then turn off the heat, cover and let the spices infuse for 1/2 hour up to several hours.
- Strain and enjoy. Vinegar and sugar are preservatives, so it should keep for 3-4 months at least.
Nutrition
Here is a short “how-to” video for mixing the pumpkin martini, with a guest reading (the husband) of the James Whitcomb Riley poem, “When the Frost is on the Punkin”. Enjoy them both!
Beth
Friday 9th of September 2016
I can't find your pumpkin shrub syrup for the martini. I was all ready to cheat with it on Saturday. :)
Dorothy Stainbrook
Thursday 15th of September 2016
Hi Beth, So sorry on the pumpkin syrup availability!! I only have that one for a limited time in the fall. We should have it available in early October.