I love persimmons. I know a lot of people are a bit lukewarm on them. I get it. They tend to just taste like sweet cinnamon. I personally don’t think this is a bad thing. I say let’s embrace their flavor and add on to it. 

I did just so in this instance where I chop up a bunch of persimmons and cook them with ginger and spices (not cinnamon!). This makes for a super flavorful, holiday-inspired syrup. I would even add this to a cup of tea. 

But for a more boozy option, I went for it and added hot water and bourbon. Cutting it with a bit of hot water is absolutely necessary because it’s a bit too cloying for my taste with just bourbon. 

If I were throwing a holiday party this season, which I’m still contemplating, I’d make a big batch of the syrup, keep it warm over the stove (or even in a crockpot), add the bourbon and hot water so it would be ready for guests upon arrival! 

Persimmon Spiced Warm Old Fashioned

Make a big batch of this festive cocktail to delight your holiday party guests. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• Persimmon syrup:
• 1 fuyu persimmon, halved and thinly sliced
• 1-inch knob of ginger, thinly sliced
• 3 to 4 allspice berries
• 1 star anise
• 5 to 6 black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Accompaniments:
• Bourbon, of choice
• Hot water 

Directions

1. To make the syrup, place a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine all of the ingredients for the syrup. Bring to a simmer and immediately bring down the heat to low; allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, until very fragrant. Strain the mixture, discarding the solids. You should end up with about 1/3 cup syrup. 
2. To make a warm old fashioned, add 3 ounces of syrup to each mug. Top with 3 ounces bourbon and about 2 ounces hot water. Garnish with a persimmon slice. 

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.