All You Need is Plum
Whenever I visit my parent’s farm I always leave with fresh fruit and veggies. It’s probably my favorite part about going home. Well I like to see my family too, but you know what I mean.
My parent’s have this scraggy little Italian Plum tree that has been there since they bought the house so it’s at least 50 years old. Parts of it have broken and fallen off, it’s shorter than the other trees and its gnarled. But it always produces more plums than they could possible eat. These slightly more oblong Italian plums are the kind that are dried for prunes.
After I ate my fill of fresh plums I decided the rest were just begging for a fall cocktail....or maybe that was me...whatever. I made a plum syrup for the cocktail. The skins yield such a beautiful color.
Plum Syrup
4 plums, halved and pitted
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Strain using a fine mesh strainer and cool. If you want syrup thinner add more water.
For the cocktail I use Bourbon whiskey, plum syrup, lemon juice and a splash of green chartreuse. If you know me you know I can pretty much add Green Chartreuse to anything. I love that herbal punch of flavor it adds. The citrus takes a slight backseat to the chartreuse and just provides a bit of tartness.
All You Need is Plum
2 oz Bourbon
¾ oz Fresh Plum syrup
½ oz Lemon Juice
¼ oz Green Chartreuse
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold, double strain over ice into a rocks glass.
