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The cold-weather months offer quiet abundance. Farmers market tables, instead of overflowing with berries and melons, showcase pomegranates, orchard fruits, and citrus fragrant enough to stop you in your tracks.
In the hands of bartender and cocktail content creator Kaitlyn Stewart, in-season winter fruits lend bold flavor to simple variations on classic cocktails: Sweet, earthy pear juice meets cinnamon in a spiced rum sour; pomegranate adds bright tang to a gingery mule; and preserved dried figs form the base of a fruit-forward Old Fashioned that works all year round. Read on for these winter cocktail inspirations.
Fig Old Fashioned
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
This Old Fashioned riff is sweetened with a caramelized fig syrup made from flavorful dried figs. The result is a balanced bourbon cocktail with warming notes.
Apple Airmail
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
Crisp and elegant, the Apple Airmail layers tequila, green apple soju, elderflower liqueur, and lemon, finished with sparkling wine for a bright refresher. This cocktail proves why tequila is a perfect match for winter fruit flavors.
Pomegranate Mule
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
A juicy pomegranate riff on the classic Moscow Mule, this refreshing cocktail is perfect for holiday hosting. Herbaceous gin is the ideal base for this fruit-forward cocktail; it blends seamlessly with the puckery notes of lime and fresh pomegranate juice, and warming ginger beer adds a welcome bite.
Spiced Pear Rum Sour
MORGAN HUNT WARD / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS
Enjoy peak-season pears in this fruity version of a rum sour. Amaretto, cinnamon syrup, and Angostura bitters add sweet and spiced notes that make this simple cocktail perfect for the colder months.
