Persimmon Rosemary Old Fashioned Cocktails
Updated Feb 9, 2024
If you've been following me on Instagram for a while, 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. Almost 15 years later, my love affair with persimmons is still going strong - so much so that as a gift a few years ago, my now-husband commissioned persimmon earrings from our friend who’s a jewelry designer. I guess he was trying to one-up persimmons as the love of my life? (He didn’t have to work that hard, but don’t tell him that - I got awesome new earrings out of it.)
Speaking of things that you might already know: I am ALL about recipes that live at the intersection of easy and fancy. And just like I love making a "clean out the fridge" meal, I love using kitchen scraps to craft new, unique cocktails and mocktails. And when happy hour rolls around, one of the easiest, most foolproof ways to experiment with flavors is by whipping up a fun 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 just 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.
The simple syrup in this recipe was born out of a need to get some extremely ripe persimmons out of the fridge. At the last minute, I threw in some rosemary and hoped for the best. It WAS the best, and this cocktail was born.
Now let's get back to persimmons.
What Kind of Persimmon Should I Use?
There are two main varieties of persimmon - astringent and non-astringent. You can use either one for this recipe, as long as the pulp has reached a squishy, jammy texture.
Astringent persimmons (most commonly sold in the US as Hachiya persimmons) are oblong and egg-shaped. You can only eat them when they’re squishy (fully ripe). If you try to eat a firm or unripe Hachiya persimmon, it will feel like you stuffed your mouth full of cotton balls and peppercorns. Not a good time. A fully ripe Hachiya persimmon will feel like a water balloon, except inside is a sweet, gooey "jam."
Non-astringent persimmons (most commonly sold in the US as fuyu persimmons) are the small, squat variety that look like tomatoes. These can be eaten at any stage of ripeness. When they’re still firm, they’re delicious cut up in oatmeal, yogurt, smoothie bowls, salads (Persimmon Caprese, how u doin'?), or cheese boards. BUT, you can also enjoy them when they're uber-ripe and squishy, like their astringent siblings.
How Do I Store Persimmons?
Persimmons ripen best on the counter at room temperature. When they’re ripe, I like to store them in the fridge to extend their shelf life.
What Makes This Old Fashioned Different
This cocktail has all of the same ingredients as a classic Old Fashioned, but with a persimmon rosemary syrup and Fee Brothers' Black Walnut bitters. (If you don't have a bottle already, it is a GREAT addition to your bar cart and super worth the buy!) You can subsitute another type of nutty/spiced bitters with good results.
It's also stirred with ice before being poured into a chilled glass, making it super frosty and smooth. As a garnish, I like to torch a sprig of rosemary for a little extra fragrance, but you can leave it plain if you like. I did not add any citrus peel and did not miss it. If you like, feel free to add orange peel, or even a slice of fuyu persimmon.
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