Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned Recipe

Combine and cook

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup pumpkin purée. Whisk briefly to incorporate the pumpkin into the sugar and water so there are no large lumps.

Add spices

Add the sliced ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves, 6 allspice berries, 1 star anise, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or the scraped seeds and pod of a 1/2 vanilla bean), 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of salt to the saucepan.

Simmer gently

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugars. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and let it very gently simmer for 10 minutes so the spices infuse the syrup and the pumpkin flavor melds.

Strain and cool

Remove the pan from heat. Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) into a heatproof container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.

Store

Transfer cooled syrup to a clean bottle or jar and refrigerate. Syrup will keep 10–14 days refrigerated. Yield will be roughly 8–12 oz depending on evaporation and how much you press the solids.

Prepare glass

Chill an Old Fashioned / rocks glass if desired. Add one large ice cube to the glass.

Build

In a mixing glass or directly in the chilled rocks glass, combine 2 oz Sagamore Rye, 1/2 oz housemade pumpkin spice syrup and 2 dashes aromatic bitters.

Stir and dilute

If using a mixing glass: add ice and stir with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. If built in the glass, stir gently for 15–20 seconds to integrate and chill.

Strain and garnish

If mixed in a mixing glass, strain over the large ice cube in the prepared rocks glass. Express the oils of an orange peel over the cocktail by holding it skin-side down over the glass and giving it a firm twist, then rub the peel on the glass rim and drop it into the drink as garnish.

Serve

Serve immediately. Suggest tasting and adjusting: if you prefer sweeter, add another 1/8–1/4 oz pumpkin syrup; for more spice aroma, add an extra dash of bitters or a light grating of fresh nutmeg on top.