This Roasted Butternut Bourbon is the perfect fall beverage–infused with roasted butternut squash and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and vanilla. So much flavor, it will take any drink you make to the next level!
So I don’t know exactly when I became grown up enough to drink things like bourbon. It’s like, at some point in your 20’s you all the sudden realize that whipped cream vodka may no longer be your drink of choice and you enter old man drinking status sipping on straight bourbon over ice. Just me?
Infusing liquor is still pretty new to me, but after trying Nicole’s Pumpkin Pie Vodka last year (OMG it is AMAZING), I knew I wanted to experiment this year. Sometimes I feel like butternut squash is the redheaded step child of fall produce. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are always stealing the show, but I love butternut squash too! It ends up being the perfect thing to kick this bourbon up to the next level!
The spices are totally up to you. I used cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and a vanilla bean, but use more/less/different spices depending on what you like. OMG and the vanilla bean? Well the seeds stayed inside and they are now soaked with bourbon. You better believe I saved that baby.
Okay, so let’s talk about bourbon for a second. I did a lot of research about whether or not it is gluten-free. The answer is not technically. Although they say that the gluten goes away with distilling, most articles state that if you have Celiac or are very sensitive to cross contamination, it’s better to stay away. Steve is not super sensitive (and I only speculate that I actually feel better when I don’t eat it, but that is a subject for an other day), so it’s totally fine for us, but if you are more sensitive, you could definitely use Hudson Baby Bourbon which is made from corn instead of barley! Win!
Do keep in mind that you have to plan a little bit in advance with this baby. It needs 2-4 weeks to fully infuse, so just make sure you give yourself plenty of time. It’s really easy, and mostly hands off. In fact, you won’t believe just how easy it is to infuse your own liquors, and everyone you tell will be super impressed, and you can totally pretend it was lots of hard work, slaving over the stove, and all that. 
This Roasted Butternut Bourbon is the perfect fall beverage--infused with roasted butternut squash and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and vanilla. So much flavor, it will take any drink you make to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1/2 large butternut squash, seeded and cut into 1-2" cubes
- 750 ml bourbon
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 nutmeg, smashed*
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced length-wise
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Roast butternut squash for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
- Place roasted butternut squash and all remaining ingredients in a large jar or tupperware. Store in a cool, dry place for 2-4 weeks (longer if you want a LOT of butternut squash flavor, less if you just want a hint), swirling ingredients around every few days.
- Once your infusion in complete, line a fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth and strain liquid through into a large bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout). Pour ingredients into an airtight storing jar or bottle (a funnel helps if the bottle is small, or your bowl doesn't have a pour spout).
Notes
*To smash nutmeg, take half a piece of nutmeg, place parchment paper (or even a thin dish towel) on top and hit with a meat tenderizer. You should only need to do this once, just to break it up a bit. Recipe inspired by The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie
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