If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a bit, I probably don’t have to tell you that I am OBSESSED with persimmons. The obsession started in college when I bought a curious orange fruit thinking it would taste like a tomato, only to discover how delightfully wrong I was when I bit into it. Almost 10 years later, persimmons and I are still BFF, but I’ll never forget that initial honeymoon phase when I literally could NOT stop eating them. I made bi-weekly runs to the H-Mart in South Jersey to buy family sized crates of Fuyu persimmons, and returned to Philly with the crates buckled into the front seat. Yes, buckled. Safety first for my most precious cargo.
Speaking of things that you might already know: I am ALL about food that lives at the intersection of Fast and Fancy. My kitchen “style” is making things that taste complicated, but actually don’t require that much effort to make. Fun fact: the same applies to my cocktails!
Just like I love making a “clean out the fridge” meal, I love using leftover ingredients to craft new, unique drinks! I am by no means an experienced mixologist, but I love experimenting. And when happy hour rolls around, one of the easiest, most foolproof ways to experiment with flavors is by whipping up a unique simple syrup.
Simple syrup lives up to its name because it truly is the SIMPLEST formula to remember: equal parts sugar and water. Warm it up on a super low heat to dissolve the sugar along with whatever aromatics or flavors you want to throw in, let it steep for a bit, and you have yourself a scented or flavored syrup.
This week, in a desperate attempt to clear some space in the fridge, I decided to make a simple syrup out of some extremely ripe persimmons, with absolutely no further plan or direction. At the last minute, I threw in some rosemary and hoped for the best. It WAS the best, and later that night, this cocktail was born.
Now let’s get back to persimmons for a second. There are two varieties: Fuyu and Hachiya. At peak ripeness, you can use either one for this recipe, but I think it’s helpful to note the differences between them.
Which Persimmon Should I Use?
Fuyus are the small, squat variety that look like tomatoes. Fuyuscan be eaten at ANY stage of ripeness. When they’re firm, I like to cut them into cubes and sprinkle them onto oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothie bowls, slice them into salads (Persimmon Caprese, how u doin’?), or include them on cheese boards. BUT, you can also enjoy them when they’re uber-ripe, squishy, and about to burst.
Hachiyas are the oblong variety. They’re sneakier, because you can only eat them fully ripe (squishy). If you try to eat a firm Hachiya, it will feel like you stuffed your mouth full of cotton balls and peppercorns. Not a good time. But if you eat it when it’s ripe, it is the sweetest, stickiest, most delectable fruit imaginable.
How Do I store Persimmons?
Persimmons ripen best on the counter at room temperature. A fully ripe persimmon will feel like a water balloon, except inside is a sweet, gooey “jam.” When my persimmons reach this stage, I like to store them in the fridge to extend their shelf life… Which is exactly how this recipe was born.
Hachiya persimmons (foreground) are oblong, and are only palatable when their pulp is ripe and squishy. Fuyu persimmons (background) are short and squat. They are delicious firm or ripe, but should be used ripe for this recipe.
What Makes This Cocktail Special
This cocktail has all of the same ingredients as a classic Old Fashioned, but with a warm, wintry twist thanks to the persimmon rosemary syrup and Fee Brothers’ Black Walnut bitters. (These are key to the flavor in this cocktail. If you don’t have a bottle already, they are a GREAT addition to your bar cart and super worth the buy!). It’s also stirred with ice before being poured into the chilled glass, making it super frosty and smooth. As a garnish, I like to torch a rosemary sprig for a little extra fragrance, but you can leave the rosemary as is if you like. I did not add any citrus peel and did not miss it. If you like, feel free to add orange peel.
A smooth, nutty, and wintry twist on the classic cocktail. Black Walnut bitters give this drink its unique flavor, but feel free to use only aromatic bitters, or substitute a different flavored bitters like spiced, maple, or vanilla if necessary.
Combine 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup persimmon pulp, and 2 sprigs of rosemary in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and syrup is warm and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
Strain into a jar or container to remove large pieces of pulp and allow to cool before refrigerating. Chill before using.
Cocktail:
Fill two rocks glasses with crushed ice. Set aside.
Fill a larger glass with crushed ice. To the large glass, add the 4 oz. rye whiskey, 2 oz. Persimmon Rosemary Syrup, and 2-3 dashes each aromatic bitters andBlack Walnut bitters. Stir thoroughly.
Discard the crushed ice in the rocks glasses and replace with one ice cube in each. Strain the mixture into the rocks glasses and top with a sprig of rosemary. For extra rosemary fragrance, run a flame over your rosemary until it starts to crackle (but doesn’t catch fire!) and then give your cocktail a stir with it before garnishing.
