Here are two things you may not know about fruit butters: 1) they don’t actually contain any butter and 2) they’re awfully good with gin. Or bourbon. Or champagne. I haven’t always possessed such encyclopedic knowledge of fruit butters. As I child I wrinkled my nose at the thought of apples mixed with butter and only later learned that fruit butters are so named because they’re silky and smooth and spreadable — like butter.
The gin revelation occurred much more recently as a result of a google search gone astray. In researching something else entirely, I stumbled upon this recipe for a cocktail made with pumpkin butter and gin and champagne. I admit I was a bit skeptical of a drink based on something one would ordinarily spread on toast, but my skepticism vanished with the first sip. Our pumpkin butter makes a mighty tasty cocktail. This one tastes like softly effervescent pumpkin pie, sweet and foamy and cinnamony and delicious.
Of course, some folks prefer the tartness of cranberry to the sweetness of pumpkin, so it’s fortunate that our cranberry butter also goes nicely with booze. It’s lovely blended into a gin and tonic, where it lends a delightfully fruity tang to the drink’s traditional refreshing crispness.
If you find the crispness of Autumn itself refreshing enough, there’s always hot cider, and cider mulled with cranberry butter and cinnamon then spiked with the warm caramel notes of bourbon is particularly special. It’s tart and sweet and cozy, the perfect accompaniment to a Thanksgiving Day spent with family and friends.
Sparkling Pumpkin Pie Cocktail
(makes 1)
printable recipe
1 Tbsp. American Spoon® Pumpkin Butter
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. gin
dry champagne or sparkling wine
blend of cinnamon and sugar for rim
1) Make the simple syrup by combining equal amounts of sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Cool completely before continuing. Simple syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
2) Run a slice of lemon around the rim of a champagne flute. Dip in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat rim of glass.
3) In a blender, combine pumpkin butter, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
4) Transfer to a mixing glass or an empty jar. Add ice and gin and shake well. Strain into champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.
Cranberry Gin & Tonic
(makes 1)
2 Tbsp. American Spoon® Cranberry Butter
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. gin
tonic water
lime slice for garnish
1) In a blender, combine cranberry butter and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
2) Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the gin and the cranberry mixture. Top with tonic and garnish with a slice of lime.
Cozy Cranberry Cider
(makes 4)
4 cups apple cider
1 jar American Spoon® Cranberry Butter
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup bourbon
2 tsp. American Spoon® Creamed Raw Honey
1 slice lemon
blend of cinnamon and sugar for rim
1) In a blender, combine apple cider and cranberry butter. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, then simmer for 10 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, run a slice of lemon around the rims of four mugs. Dip each mug in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the rims.
3) Remove cider from the heat and stir in the bourbon and honey. Pour into mugs and serve warm.
Other recipes that feature Pumpkin Butter:
French Toast with Heirloom Apple Spoon Fruit & Pumpkin Cream
Pumpkin Maple Whoopie Pies
Cranberry butter swizzled with my gin and tonic – sounds swell! Lovely looking drink photos, too. Thanks – and happy hosting.