Persimmon creates a delicious and seasonal orange cocktail for Halloween drinking. A fresh candied walnut makes a spooky garnish.
When it comes to creating orange drinks for Halloween, most people reach for a can of pumpkin. Or more creatively, some sweet potato puree. But both of those are so thick and starchy, they make rather substantial drinks.
I’ve discovered that persimmons are the perfect orange base for a Halloween cocktail. They’re a beautiful hue, persimmons are really coming into season in mid-October and their sweet, unassertive flavor mixes well.
Visit Maria’s Good Things for more persimmon recipes.
I paired my persimmon syrup (mix a cup of organic persimmon puree with a brown- sugar simple syrup) with some preserved fresh walnuts from Harvest Song Ventures. Black, soft and sweet, the candied walnuts are often paired with blue cheese or even foie gras. The baby walnuts do look rather alarming, so you could say they were decaying eyeballs, spider eggs or something equally gross for Halloween.
The Nutty Persimmon
1-1/2 ounces persimmon syrup
1-1/2 ounces Laird’s applejack (or bourbon)
1 teaspoon walnut syrup
juice of 1/4 lemon
shake nutmeg
shake powdered cinnamon
float of blanc de noirs sparkling wine
1/2 fresh walnut, for garnish
Add the persimmon syrup, applejack, walnut syrup, lemon juice and spices to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well-chilled, then strain into a small martin glass or a coupe. Top with the blanc de noirs and stir lightly. Garnish with the fresh walnut half.
Makes 1 cocktail
© By Maria C. Hunt, aka The Bubbly Girl
