I’ll bet I know what you’re thinking. She did what?! 😂

The matter of a signature cocktail for Thanksgiving is always a priority for me. I want guests at our table to immediately feel welcome and for the signature drink to set the mood for the occasion. And though I don’t especially like the old-school sweet potato casserole— you know the one, topped with sticky browned marshmallows— when the idea rose of putting those nostalgic flavors into a cocktail? Well, that’s quite a different story!

This discussion of a sweet potato casserole cocktail came about several months ago, as my blog buddy, Maylee over at Beyond Gumbo, and I were e-chatting about a New Orleans-based company that makes cocktail ingredients. El Guapo is the brand, and I had recently purchased a bottle of its chicory pecan bitters. I’m always on lookout for unusual cocktail ingredients, and this one struck my fancy for making holiday themed drinks.

As so often happens, though, the bitters sat on my bar for a while as I pondered how to build a drink that would benefit from the interesting combination of flavors. I’ve used it to make a pecan pie old-fashioned, and then it got left behind until recently, when Maylee posted a wonderful recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice latte that sounds way better than anything I could buy at Starbucks. For her latte, she made a pumpkin spice syrup and she reminded me in the comments section about the sweet potato cocktail we’d discussed months earlier. Thank goodness she remembered!

And here we are! My friend’s pumpkin spice syrup inspired me to try my own version of sweet potato syrup, which was not only simple to make, but literally makes this bourbon drink taste like a tipsy liquid version of a retro sweet potato casserole. This is one of the things I love most about food blogging, the way my online friends and I are always inspiring one another to try and succeed at new things, and we keep going until we all run out of ideas. 

I hope that’s a very long time. Cheers! 😁

What you’ll need

If you want to try this yourself, take a moment right now to purchase the chicory pecan bitters, as they are essential to the drink. You can buy them directly from El Guapo’s site or take advantage of speedy shipping from Amazon. Don’t worry about how to use the rest of the bottle, as I’ll be experimenting and sharing other recipes as I develop or discover them.

The other ingredients you’ll need are bourbon (a sweet one, such as Maker’s Mark or Elijah Craig), a good-sized sweet potato, a bit of turbinado or brown sugar and a cinnamon stick, plus the mini marshmallows to garnish the drink, vintage style.

Make-ahead sweet potato syrup

The sweet potato syrup is easy to make ahead, and I’d recommend doing it this weekend so you’ll be ready when guests arrive next Thursday. Simmer the sweet potato chunks until tender, then gently mash and strain the liquid into a measuring glass. Add enough water to total 1 1/4 cups. Pour the strained liquid back into the pan with the sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a slight boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, and then strain again— this time through a very fine mesh strainer to filter the solids as much as possible. Transfer it to a bottle and chill until you’re ready for cocktails.

When my syrup was finished, it measured 3/4 cup, exactly enough for 8 cocktails. If you’ll be making more drinks, my click-to-print recipe below is easy enough to double.

Time for a cocktail!

When the bell rings for happy hour, get your cocktail tools and ingredients ready to go. You’ll need a shaker (this is best when mixing ingredients of different viscosity), a measuring tool for the ingredients, ice for shaking, heatproof cocktail picks and a culinary torch or lighter to toast the marshmallows. 

I recommend threading the marshmallows onto the cocktail pick first so you can get straight to enjoying this delicious drink as soon as it’s poured. To reduce the stickiness, I smeared the cocktail picks with a bit of butter before adding the marshmallows. I like a little orange peel expressed over my drink, so this is good time to strip that off a washed orange, too.

Here comes the mixing! Combine the bourbon, syrup and chicory pecan bitters in a shaker with about a cup of ice. Shake for 20 seconds, or until the outside of the shaker is cold and frosty. Strain over new ice. Express the orange peel (if using) over the drink and toast the marshmallows to garnish the glass.

Sweet Potato Casserole Old Fashioned

• Servings: 1 cocktail
• Prep Time: 2 hours to prepare syrup
• Cook Time: 90 minutes, mostly hands-off
• Difficulty: Average
• Print

Yes, this fun recipe is exactly what you imagine; the flavors of a classic Thanksgiving side, transformed into a delicious holiday cocktail.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces bourbon (a sweet one, such as Maker’s Mark or Elijah Craig)
• 3/4 ounce sweet potato syrup (recipe and directions below)
• 3 shakes El Guapo chicory pecan bitters
• miniature marshmallows, threaded onto a heatproof cocktail pick
• 3-inch strip of orange peel, optional for expressing over cocktail

Directions

1. Combine bourbon, sweet potato syrup and chicory pecan bitters in a cocktail shaker with a cup of ice. Shake for 20 seconds, or until shaker is frosty.
2. Strain over a large ice cube in a double rocks glass. Espresso orange peel over drink, if desired. Toast marshmallows and garnish the cocktail.
3. Cheers!

The only fussy element of this drink is the sweet potato syrup. Plan to make this ahead, and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks. The recipe below makes enough syrup for 8 cocktails.

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup turbinado or brown sugar
• 4-inch piece of cinnamon stick

Directions

1. Cover sweet potato chunks with cold water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are fork-tender, about 35 minutes. Gently mash the potatoes, still in the water, with the back of the fork. Strain through a wire mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup. Add enough water if needed to total 1 1/4 cups. Rinse any solids out of the pan.
2. Pour sweet potato liquid back into the saucepan. Add sugar and cinnamon stick and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture takes on a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Strain again, this time through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter. Finished syrup should measure approximately 3/4 cup. Transfer syrup to a jar or sealable bottle and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Elevate it even further!

Want to take this drink a flavor step further in the direction of a sweet potato casserole? Try this trick of “fat-washing” your bourbon with browned, unsalted butter. It’s easy to do, and as a bonus, you’ll have a small bowlful of bourbon-infused butter left over to flavor something else on the table. The actual sweet potato casserole, perhaps? 😉