No cocktail party is complete without a signature drink! About a month and a half before our party I put my mixologist husband Jason to the task. Before I knew it, boxes of imported figs, vanilla and other esoteric ingredients were arriving on our doorstep.

Soon glass jars of vanilla bean and fig infused bourbon were lining our shelves as well as bitters waiting to infuse into a complex flavor with a strong vanilla essence. We snuck a few tastes over the month as the flavors developed ... this is a good idea to monitor your infusions ... but seriously it would be impossible to wait anyway!

When the evening of our Little Yellow Couch Cocktail Party finally arrived, it was thrilling to mix a handcrafted Vanilla Fig Old-Fashioned for our guests and enjoy a few ourselves!

Ingredients

• 3-6 Dashes of Vanilla Bitters *
• 3 Parts Vanilla Fig Infused Bourbon**
• 1 Part Club Soda

*Vanilla Fig Infused Bourbon

• 2 Liters Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey**
• 1 lb. Black Mission Figs (quartered)
• 1 lb. Turkish Figs (quartered)
• 1 lb. Calimyrna Figs (quartered)
• 9 Madagascar Vanilla Beans Soaked in Bourbon

Mix together in an airtight glass container(s). Allow to infuse for 1 month, agitating daily.
After 1 month, strain through both coarse and fine strainers. Bottle in decorative decanters.

**Vanilla Bitters

• 750 ml bottle Booker's 130.4 proof Bourbon***
• 2 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses
• 1 Tbsp Gentian Root
• 1 Tbsp Cacao Nibs
• 1 Tbsp Black Cardamom
• 1 Tbsp Coffee Beans
• 9 Madagascar Vanilla Beans Soaked in Bourbon
• 1 Tsp Black Peppercorns

*** High proof bourbon is necessary for extracting the complex flavors in bitters.

Mix together in an airtight glass container(s). Allow to infuse for 1 month, agitating daily. After 1 month, strain through both coarse and fine strainers. Bottle in dark amber glass.

Directions

Add ice to a glass. Add bitters, then club soda and finally bourbon. Stir and serve.