15 Fresh Plum Cocktails to Brighten Your Happy Hours

Explore the vibrant and refreshing world of fresh plum cocktails, where ripe, juicy plums are transformed into delightful beverages. These recipes blend the sweet and tart notes of plums with various ingredients to create unique and delicious drinks, perfect for any occasion.

Whether you’re hosting a party or looking for a new favorite cocktail, these recipes provide detailed instructions and tips to ensure your drinks are a hit.

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Sugar Plum Whiskey Smash

A fun holiday cocktail inspired by the Nutcracker, this Sugar Plum Whiskey Smash features caramelized plums for a natural sweetness

• Prep: 5 mins
• Yield: 2

Ingredients

• 1 plum, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons sugar, as needed
• 3 oz whiskey or bourbon
• 2 oz pomegranate juice
• 1 can cranberry ginger ale
• Ice

Instructions

1. Place your frying pan over medium heat and get the pan hot.
2. Meanwhile, slice your plum and sprinkle both sides of each slice with sugar.
3. Add the plums to the hot pan and allow to caramelize. (Note that I didn’t caramelize the plums fully because I didn’t want them to appear burnt in the photographs. You want them to start browning before you remove from heat.)
4. Allow the plums to cool slightly as you prepare the cocktail.
5. Fill your glasses with ice. This drink is best served cold.
6. Add your whiskey to the glass, followed by the pomegranate juice, then the cranberry ginger ale.
7. Garnish with the caramelized plums and serve immediately.

Plum-Thyme Margarita

Love a fall margarita with a unique twist? Let me introduce you to the lovely plum-thyme margarita. Made with a fresh plum-thyme simple syrup and a generous dose of tequila, this plum-thyme margarita is a seasonal favorite that’s perfect for any festive fall gathering.

• Prep: 10 mins
• Servings: 1

Ingredients

Plum-Thyme Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 5-10 fresh thyme sprigs
• 4 plums, seeded, cut into slices

Plum-Thyme Margarita

• 1 lime slice, cut in middle, for garnish, optional
• Coarse sea salt, for garnish, optional
• 2 ounces tequila, preferably reposado
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 ounce orange liqueur, preferably Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 1 ounce plum-thyme simple syrup
• Ice

Instructions

Plum-Thyme Simple Syrup

• Add the water, sugar, thyme sprigs and plum slices to a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and cook to a low boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Once the sugar dissolves, turn off heat, mash the plums in the syrup and allow to steep, preferably at least 30 minutes. Strain and chill. You can take care of this step ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

Plum-Thyme Margarita

• If you’d like a salted glass, run a lime slice around the glass rim. Pour coarse sea salt on a small plate. Dip the glass into the ice and twist a few times to allow the salt to adhere. Set aside.
• In a cocktail shaker, add the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, plum-thyme simple syrup and a handful of ice. Pop on the top and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds.
• Add ice to the glass. Strain the margarita into the glass. If desired, garnish with plum slices and thyme sprigs. Enjoy!

Notes

1. A potato masher works well to mash the plums. You could also use a fork if you don’t have a potato masher.
2. Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Summer Rosé Sangria Punch

Summer Rosé Sangria is an easy delicious wine cocktail recipe with a combination of fresh berries. Strawberries, plums and cherries make this a light and crisp party drink that’s perfect for everyday or a special occasion.

• Prep: 10 mins
• Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 plums, sliced
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup cherries, seeded and sliced
• ¼ cup Chambord Liqueur
• 1 bottle Rosé Wine
• 1 can lemon lime soda

Instructions

1. In a pitcher, add plums, strawberries and cherries.
2. Add Chambord and pink rose wine, then stir.
3. Refrigerate sangria up to 2 hours
4. Add lemon lime soda and stir before serving.

Plum Ginger Gin Sour Cocktail

If you’re looking for a delicious autumn cocktail, look no further than this refreshing Plum Ginger Gin Sour cocktail made with Empress 1908 Gin. It’s easy to make and perfect for sipping on a cool fall evening. Give it a try with homemade plum ginger simple syrup.

• Time: 30 mins
• Serving: 1

INGREDIENTS

For plum ginger simple syrup

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 ripe plums, pitted and sliced
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

For plum gin sour

• 2 oz gin
• ¾ oz aquafaba, optional, from a can of chickpeas
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz plum ginger simple syrup
• Sliced plum, for garnish, optional, or lemon twist

INSTRUCTIONS 

For the plum ginger simple syrup

1. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. The mixture will be clear.
2. Add sliced plums and ginger. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain syrup into a glass container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

For the plum gin sour cocktail

1. Add gin, aquafaba, lemon juice, and plum ginger simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds, then shake again with ice.
2. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with sliced plum if desired.

NOTES

1. This recipe makes enough plum ginger simple syrup for approximately three cocktails.
2. Store the plum ginger simple syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Plum Apple Spiced Toddy

Ready for an iced toddy that’s going to rock your holiday plans this year? This cold toddy over ice brings together the trifecta of apple flavored crown, brandy, and spiced rum.

• Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 oz Unsweetened black tea, iced
• 1oz Apple cider
• 1 oz Plum Nectar Juice
• 1 oz Apple Crown
• 1 oz Plum Brandy
• ½ oz Spiced Rum
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• Plum slices for garnish
• Apple slices for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a Collins cocktail glass with ice cubes. Combine the Apple Crown, spiced rum, and brandy into the shaker. Next, add the cinnamon sticks, and juice to the liquor.
2. Vigorously shake the mixture to ensure it is suitably blended. Pour the contents of the shaker over ice and serve immediately.
3. You can remove the cinnamon stick if desired, or add it to the cocktail. You can also use fruit like apple slices to garnish either on the side, or mixed right in.

Plum and Fennel Gin Gimlet

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Resting Time: 30 mins
• 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 1 ½ oz black plum purée, from two plums
• 1 oz fennel syrup
• ½ oz lime juice
• 1 slice plum, for garnish

Fennel Syrup

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp fennel seed

Instructions

Plum and Fennel Gin Gimlet

1. Peel and pit two plums. Slice plums into wedges. Place sliced plums into small bowl of food processor or blender and blend until puréed. This will yield enough purée for 3-4 cocktails. 
2. In an ice-filled shaker, combine all ingredients and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into rocks glass over ice.

Fennel Syrup

1. Combine sugar, water and fennel in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and let stand for 30 minutes to allow fennel flavour to develop. Strain out fennel seed. Syrup will keep in airtight container in your fridge for up to two weeks.

Pisco, Plum & Sage Cocktail

• Prep Time: 3 mins
• Servings: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

• ¾ oz honey syrup
• 3 sage leaves
• ½ yellow plum
• 1 ½ oz pisco
• ½ oz lemon juice
• small pinch salt
• 1 dash Mister Bitters Honeyed Apricot & Smoked Hickory bitters optional
• 1 oz dry sparkling wine
• 1 sage leaf for garnish

HONEY SYRUP

• 4 oz honey
• 4 oz boiling water

Instructions

1. Add three sage leaves to the bottom of your shaker. Top with honey syrup and lightly muddle the sage, thereby releasing its oil into the mixture.
2. Next, cut the half plum into two quarters and add them to your shaker with sage-honey syrup. Muddle the fruit thoroughly, extracting as much juice as possible.
3. Add pisco, lemon juice, salt, and bitters to shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. fill your shaker.
4. Pour sparkling wine into a chilled coupe glass. Double strain (to remove those bits of fruit and herbcontents of shaker into a coupe glass overtop the sparkling wine. Garnish with a single sage leaf.

HONEY SYRUP

1. Combine boiling water and honey in a heatproof jar. Stir or put the lid on and shake vigorously until honey is dissolved in water. Honey syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Plum Pie Daiquiri

This Plum Pie Daiquiri is dessert in drink form. Sweet and creamy, with just the right amount of boozy goodness from Pearl® Plum Vodka.

• Prep: 5 mins
• Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 4 small plums, pitted and sliced
• 4 ounces Pearl Plum vodka
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 8-10 ice cubes
• 2 tablespoons blueberries, for color, optional
• whipped cream for garnish

Instructions 

1. Dip the rims of two stemmed cocktail glasses in the melted butter and then the graham cracker crumbs to coat. Set aside.
2. Add plums, vodka, ice cream, pineapple juice, ice cubes and blueberries (if using) to a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Divide among the prepared glasses. Top with whipped topping and serve immediately.

Bourbon Sour With Honey-Plum Syrup

This drink is perfect for the last days of summer, and the ushering in of a new season.

• PREP TIME: 5 minutes
• COOK TIME: 15 minutes
• MAKES: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

For the cocktail:

• 2 parts Basil Hayden’s® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• ³/₄ part fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ³/₄ part honey-plum syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

For the honey-plum syrup:

• 2-3 fresh plums, sliced
• 2 cups honey

Directions

1. For the cocktail:
2. Combine all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, and shake until well combined. Strain into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with a plum wedge and lemon peel.

For the honey-plum syrup:

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 cup of water and the sliced plums. Bring to a light simmer until the plums begin to split and release the juice. Add in 2 cups of honey, and gently stir to combine.
2. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool. Strain out the plum solids and store the syrup in a glass jar in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Plum Rum Old Fashioned

This Plum Rum Old Fashioned is a delicious Summer sipper! This fruity play on a classic cocktail uses aged dark rum, homemade Plum Syrup and a dash of bitters!

• Prep: 3 mins
• Servings: 1

INGREDIENTS

Plum Rum Old Fashioned (1 Cocktail)

• 2 ounces dark rum
• ¾ ounce Plum Syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Ice, as needed for stirring and serving
• 1 plum wedge, optional for garnish

Plum Syrup (15+ Cocktails)

• 1 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Cup filtered water
• 8 ounces plums (about 4 plums), washed, pitted, sliced

INSTRUCTIONS 

Plum Rum Old Fashioned

1. Gather, measure and prepare the Plum Rum Old Fashioned ingredients as listed.
2. Add rum, Plum Syrup and bitters to a yari (or similar stirring vessel). Add ice and use a bar spoon to stir for 30 seconds.
3. Strain cocktail into a clean glass with fresh ice. (We like to use a large ice cube so slow dillution.) Garnish with a plum wedge, if using. Cheers!

Plum Syrup

1. Gather, measure and prepare the Plum Syrup ingredients as listed.
2. In a small saucepan, dissolve sugar in water over medium-high heat. Once sugar is dissolved, add sliced plums and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
3. With a standard or immersion blender, puree Plum Syrup until smooth. Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer. We like to strain our syrup twice, to remove any fine particles.
4. Allow syrup to cool to room-temperature. Use syrup in this Plum Rum Old Fashioned recipe immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Plum Bellini Cocktail

No brunch is complete without a refreshing fruit bellini. This fresh plum bellini cocktail is made with sweet summer plums and bubbly prosecco. It’s a sophisticated sparkling beverage to share with friends.

• PREP: 10 mins
• CHILL: 4 hrs
• 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bottle of Prosecco, chilled
• 4 medium plums, about 1lb

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Score a shallow “x” in each of the plums with a knife. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Place the plums in the pot and boil for 20 seconds. Immediately remove the plums and place them to cool in a bowl. The skins will now peel off easily. Squeeze the skins and extract as much juice/color from them as possible. Remove the flesh from the pit and discard the pit and skins.
2. Place the plum flesh in a blender and puree on high until completely smooth. Chill the puree in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
3. When ready to serve, place about 3 tablespoon of plum puree in the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with prosecco. After the fizz has subsided, gently stir. Serve garnished with a slice of plum or a sprig of fresh mint.

NOTES

1. The puree can be made 24 hours in advance. 
2. Depending on the size of your bottle of prosecco and your flutes, you will have leftover puree. Add it to a vinaigrette for salads or toss it into your favorite smoothie recipe.

Plum Gin Fizz

This fruity gin fizz isn’t overly sweet, allowing the flavor of the caramelized plums to shine. A botanical gin works well with the fruit in this cocktail, adding herbaceous and fruity notes.

• Active Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Servings: 1

Ingredients

Plum Puree

• 2 pounds fresh plums, halved and pitted
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

Cocktail

• ¼ cup (2 ounces) gin (such as Empress 1908, The Botanist, or Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice)
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Ice cubes
• ¼ cup club soda
• 1 lavender sprig, for garnish

Directions

Make the plum puree:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together plums and sugar on a large rimmed baking sheet until fully coated; spread in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven until fruit is soft and juicy, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting time. Let cool 5 minutes. Scrape fruit and any liquid on baking sheet into a food processor or blender; pulse until smooth, 5 to 8 pulses. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing puree using a rubber spatula. (This may take about 10 minutes.) Discard pulp. Refrigerate, uncovered, until completely cool, about 20 minutes. (You should have about 2 cups plum puree, enough for 9 cocktails.)

Make the cocktail:

1. Combine gin, egg white, lemon juice, and 31/2 tablespoons plum puree in a dry cocktail shaker without ice. Place lid on shaker; shake vigorously to combine, about 15 seconds. Add enough ice to shaker to fill three-fourths of the way up. Place lid on shaker, and shake until well chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled highball glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, and garnish with lavender sprig.

Make Ahead

Plum puree may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Spiced Plum Smash Cocktail

Spiced simple syrup and vodka come together to make a divine cocktail, made bubbly with prosecco!

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

Cinnamon Cardamom Simple Syrup:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
• 1 tsp whole cloves

Cocktail:

• 2 Plums
• Juice from one Lemon
• 2 oz Cinnamon Cardamom Simple Syrup
• 2 oz vodka
• 1 bottle prosecco

Instructions

1. To make the simple syrup, add ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
2. Cool syrup completely before using in the cocktail.
3. To make the cocktail, peel and slice plums. Add plum slices to the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add simple syrup and lemon juice, muddling for 30 seconds.
4. Add vodka and fill the shaker with ice. Shake well.
5. Strain the cocktail evenly between two glasses that have been filled with ice.
6. Top off each glass with prosecco until full.
7. Garnish with extra plum slices and cinnamon sticks. Serve immediately.

Sugarplum Spritz

• YIELDS: 2 serving(s)
• PREP TIME: 5 mins

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. simple syrup
• 4 oz. plum wine
• 2 oz. Luxardo maraschino cherry syrup
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
• Ice
• 8 oz. dry prosecco
• 2 plum slices

Directions

1. Spread sugar on a small, shallow plate. Pour simple syrup onto another small, shallow plate. Dip rims of 2 tall glasses in simple syrup, then roll rims in sugar, holding glass at a 45° angle.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine wine, cherry syrup, lemon juice, and bitters. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and vigorously shake until outside of shaker is very frosty, about 20 seconds.
3. Fill prepared glasses with ice. Strain cocktail into glasses. Top with prosecco.
4. Dip skin of each plum slice into simple syrup, then gently roll in sugar. Garnish drinks with sugared plum slices.

Fermented Plum Negroni

Alovely, zingy twist on my favourite cocktail. Don’t bin the drained fermented plums – they’ll keep for about a week, and can be used in a variety of ways: serve them on toast with soft cheese, put some in a salad dressing or store them in vinegar to preserve them for even longer and use throughout the winter.

• Serves 1

For the plums

• 250g pitted plums
• 10g fine salt
• 375-500ml London dry gin – you don’t want anything with too much flavour, because you’re going to add this with the plums

For the drink

• 25 ml plum-infused dry gin
• 25 ml Campari
• 25 ml red vermouth – we use a natural one, but any will work
• 1 twist orange peel, to finish

Mix the plums with the salt in a bowl, then put them in a jar and top with a weight. Seal the jar, put in a cool spot and leave for a week, so the salt can get to work on fermenting the plums and the resulting liquid covers the fruit solids; you should end up with a lovely and not-too-salty fermented plum mix.

Strain the plums, then pour the liquid – you should have roughly 100ml – into a large jar. Add the gin, screw on the lid and leave to infuse for at least 24 hours – the longer you leave it, the more the flavour will develop. (After 24 hours, put the jar in the fridge, where it will stay good for three months.)

To build the drink, fine-strain a measure of gin into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add the measures of Campari and vermouth, stir gently to combine (negroni should never be shaken under any circumstances), then strain into a tumbler or similar filled with large ice cubes. Run a lighter or gas flame over the surface of the orange peel, give it a quick squeeze over the drink to release the essential oils, drop it in and serve.

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