Infuse Your Bourbon With Butternut Squash For Unforgettable Fall Cocktails

Infusing spirts with spices, fruits, and vegetables is a quick and delicious way to add extra flavor to the cocktails we make at home. This is perfect for enjoying seasonal flavors past or present; on a dark, dreary winter day, think about recreating that perfect mango margarita you had in the summer. Infusing spirits is easy and lends itself to lots of fun experimentation. As we go into fall, it's time to consider cocktails with warmer, less expected flavors that go beyond pumpkin spice. Tasting Table talked to a cocktail expert to get some pointers on making something unique for the season: bourbon infused with butternut squash.

We spoke to Chris Cusack, the owner of Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, a highly celebrated cocktail bar with two locations in Houston, Texas. He is a Level 1 sommelier and Level 1 cicerone who has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 27 years. "The most important thing for making a bourbon infusion with something like squash is deciding about the direction you want to go with the cocktail," he says. "If you're looking to highlight the sweetness of the squash, you'll want to make sure to cook it (steam, bake, sous vide) before you infuse it. If you're looking for earthier notes, you may want to simply peel it and go straight to infusing".

First, think about what sort of cocktails you'd like to make with your infusion and if you'd prefer to sip it neat or over a nice clear ice cube. You can then go forward with prepping the squash. "Depending on your goals for the cocktail, the best way to prep squash for an infusion would be to peel it, bake it, and then sous vide with your bourbon", says Cusack. Infusing through sous vide is popular with bartenders since it accelerates the process from days to hours, and the consistent temperature helps draw subtle, nuanced flavors that may be lost with heat. "Peel your butternut squash, bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then either sous vide or simply let the squash soak in you preferred bourbon overnight," says Cusack. 

If you don't have a sous vide system but want to enhance the sweetness, your best bet is to roast the butternut squash. This will concentrate the sugars in the squash, yielding a sweeter infusion that enhances the bourbon's caramel profile. Plus, it can be done with or without the peel, which will save you time too. "A final note on infusions: More surface area = more flavor. Meaning, if you cut it into smaller pieces or possibly even puree it, you'll have more contact between the squash and the bourbon," Cusack explains.

Now that you have your butternut squash-infused bourbon, it's time to craft some fall-inspired cocktails. This richly flavored spirit will work beautifully in any bourbon-forward cocktail such as an old fashioned (try this smoked version of the cocktail) or a classic boulevardier, for instance. It would be great in a hot toddy sweetened with maple syrup, especially if you roast the squash with the syrup beforehand. 

"Butternut squash infused bourbon would make an incredible flip cocktail," says Cusack. For this, he suggests using Maker's Mark for the infusion. "Then add rich turbinado syrup, a whole egg, lemon juice, and perhaps a secondary spirit with baking spices (like St. Elizabeth Allspice, or St. George Spiced Pear) before finishing it off with some fresh grated nutmeg," Cusack instructs.

But you can also think outside the glass and use the butternut squash bourbon in cooking, such as with this glazed salmon, or baking holiday treats like these bourbon pecan pie bars. Either way, a butternut squash infused bourbon would be a welcome addition to your bar cart and kitchen counter for the upcoming season.