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The Fabled Pour

Fig

Also called fresh fig, Black Mission fig, Brown Turkey fig, Ficus carica

The fresh fig, soft, honeyed and faintly seedy, used sliced as a garnish, muddled into a Sour or simmered into fig syrup. Black Mission and Brown Turkey are the usual market figs. It belongs with brandy, bourbon, dark rum, honey and thyme in autumn drinks.

  • honey
  • jam
  • ripe berry
  • soft seeds
  • earthy sweetness
  • green skin

Origin

Figs are native to western Asia and among the earliest cultivated fruits, found at Neolithic sites from about 5000 BC; by Pliny's time 29 kinds were known. Spanish missionaries brought them to California with the San Diego mission in 1769, and Brown Turkey, Kadota and Black Mission remain the familiar varieties. Drying and jam making are the traditional ways of keeping a fruit that bruises and spoils within days of picking.

Production and safety

Ripe figs keep 2 to 3 days refrigerated and bruise easily; buy close to service. Wash and dry, trim the stem, slice just before garnishing. Fig latex from the stem can irritate skin for some people.

Allergens: None

Common uses

  • fig syrup
  • a sliced fig garnish on a brandy Sour
  • muddled fig in a bourbon Smash
  • fig and thyme garnish on a highball
  • autumn punches

Sources

  1. Fig (Morton, Fruits of Warm Climates, Purdue NewCROP), Purdue University NewCROP ยท secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11