Ever wondered what to do with all of the pumpkins you’ve stockpiled for the holidays? I’ve got a solution for you! Make pumpkin butter! It’s ridiculously delicious, as in, eat copious amounts from the pot with a spoon before cocktail shaking commences. Or slather it on bread. Or top your (n)ice cream with it! Put it in oatmeal! Okay, I’ll stop… but just know that this pumpkin butter is about to change your life, and make your home smell like a holiday fever dream.
It’s time for you to pick up where I left off. Start making pumpkin butter, right now. This cocktail, the Pumpkin Butter Whiskey Sour, was introduced to us by our friend Deke, a mixologist in Washington DC serving up some of the most unbelievably scrumptious beverages in existence. So, when Mark reached out to him to ask what the best cocktail is that includes pumpkin and he instantly responded with this recipe we knew we were in for a treat. To put it mildly, we are very, very impressed.
This recipe is a two-fer, really. First you make the pumpkin butter, followed immediately by the cocktail. The recipe for pumpkin butter comes from All Recipes, and you can find the link here. The second recipe comes from the legendary Deke himself and I don’t know how to reference him, so just consider this an official shout out to him for the best beverage recipe I’ve ever had.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Butter
29 ounces pumpkin puree (or one can if you aren’t making your own)
3/4 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Recipe
Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Butter Whiskey Sour
2 oz bourbon (we used Four Roses)
.75 oz lemon juice
.25 oz agave nectar (or .5 oz simple syrup)
.25 sweetened pumpkin butter (or .5 oz if you really wanna taste the pumpkin goodness)
1 oz aquafaba
Recipe
Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker and shake, strained, crushed and serve.