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Persimmons are finally here, which means it’s time for a golden, maple-spiced Old Fashioned. This cozy drink leans into sweet persimmons, warm cinnamon, and a splash of citrus. It’s simple to mix, gorgeous in the glass, and perfect for crisp fall nights.
If you’re new to persimmons, Fuyus are your friend (they’re ripe when firm and crunchy). Hachiyas must be super soft to enjoy…save those for baking or jammy purées.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- A familiar classic with a fall spin (spiced maple + persimmon).
- Minimal effort, impressive look. Best of all – easy to batch for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
Ingredient Notes
Fuyu persimmons: Use ripe but firm Fuyus; peel if skin is tough. Briefly note that Hachiya must be very soft to avoid astringency.
Maple syrup: Real maple for clean sweetness; grade doesn’t matter—use what you have.
Citrus: Lemon and clementines. If clementines aren’t available, a sweet mandarin works similarly
Bitters: Orange bitters complement the maple
Bourbon: Choose one with vanilla/caramel notes for balance. Prefer more spice? Try rye (a bit of a drier finish)
Sparkling topper: Club soda or ginger beer for spicy warmth (sweeter)
This is the perfect warming drink for the cold fall and winter nights ahead. Ideal for cozying up with next to a roaring fire while the cold winds blow outside.
I know persimmon’s are not the most popular autumn fruit out there, but I personally love them. The second I finally see them in the grocery store, come late October, I always buy a giant box full.
Recipe inspiration
It’s funny because the first time I ever tried a persimmon, I tried a very under ripe Hachiya persimmon and literally thought I was having an allergic reaction. It made my throat so dry and left an awful taste in my mouth. I didn’t understand why anyone would ever eat a persimmon willingly. But then I did some reading and realized that Hachiya Persimmons can only be eaten when they are extremely ripe, super soft, and almost mushy. This is when they are sweetest…and actually edible…oops!
Anyway, long story short, I don’t ever buy Hachiya Persimmons. Instead, I go for the much more forgiving Fuyu variety persimmon, which is extra sweet and extra delicious. They’re similar to an apple in the way that they are ripe when firm and have a little crunch to them. I love adding them raw to salads, see this salad and this salad. But this time, I decided I wanted to experiment with a persimmon cocktail, which I thought would be perfect for the fall.
Enter this spiced persimmon old fashioned.
Made with a spiced maple persimmon puree, bourbon, sweet clementine juice, and a couple of dashes of bitters, the persimmon puree makes enough for about four cocktails. If you’d like to make this as a pitcher style drink for Thanksgiving, just quadruple the amounts for the old fashioned.
Top each glass off with some sparkling water (or ginger beer…that would delicious) and your Saturday night cocktail is complete.
Details to make the Spiced Maple Persimmon Purée
Simmer: Cook persimmons with maple, water, and cinnamon stick until very soft and fragrant; fruit should slump and look jammy.
Blend: Purée until smooth. If thick, loosen with a splash of water.
Strain (optional): Fine-mesh strainer for a silky, bar-style finish.
Cool: Chill before mixing (cold purée keeps dilution in check).
Storage: Refrigerate up to 1 week. For longer, freeze in ice cube trays for 1–2 months; thaw in the fridge before use.
Mix the cocktail
Shake or stir? Shaking with citrus is great for speed and chill; double-strain for fewer pulp bits. Prefer a crystal-clear look? Stir over ice instead, then strain.
Balance to taste: Start with 1 Tbsp purée; add more for sweetness/body. If too sweet, add a dash more bitters or a squeeze of lemon.
Top (optional): A splash of soda lightens; ginger beer adds spice and sweetness
To make a pitcher
- Scale the purée and citrus/bitters mix ahead; keep chilled.
- Add bourbon and ice to the pitcher just before serving; stir to chill, then strain into ice-filled glasses and top individually so fizz stays fresh.
- Set out garnishes (cinnamon sticks, star anise, thin persimmon slices) for a festive DIY moment.
FAQ:
Can I use Hachiya persimmons?
Yes—but only when they’re extremely ripe (soft and almost jelly-like). Otherwise they taste astringent; Fuyus are the safer, sweeter choice.
Do I have to strain the purée?
No, but straining gives a silkier sip and a cleaner look. If the purée seems thick, thin with a splash of water before mixing.
What bourbon works best?
Pick a bourbon with warm vanilla/caramel notes; it complements maple and spice. If you prefer more bite, go with rye.
How can I batch this for a party?
Scale the purée and citrus/bitters mix, chill, and store in a bottle. Add bourbon and ice to a pitcher just before serving, then finish with a sparkling water or ginger beer top-off.
Lastly, if you make this Spiced Persimmon Bourbon Old Fashioned, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spiced Persimmon Bourbon Old Fashioned
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 714 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Spice Maple Persimmon Puree
- 2 ripe fuyu persimmons, chopped
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick, plus more for serving
Old Fashioned
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 juice from clementine
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 1-2 tablespoons persimmon puree
- sparkling water, for topping
- star anise, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Persimmon Puree
- 1. In a small pot, combine the persimmons, maple, 1/2 cup water, and 1 cinnamon stick. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook 5-8 minutes or until the persimmons are mushy and have released their juices. Remove from the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and puree the mix. Let cool. The puree will keep for 1 week in the fridge.
Old Fashioned
- 1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, clementine juice, orange bitters, and 1-2 tablespoons of the persimmon puree. Shake to combine.
2. Strain into a glass. If desired top with sparkling water. Garnish with cinnamon and star anise.
Happy Saturday! See you tomorrow for a new post on our Studio Barn series.
This post was originally published on November 4, 2017
I’m sorry, your purée is great. But the cocktail itself is unbalanced.
Add more purée and some allspice dram. Get rid of the soda and you have a winner.
Hi Sheldon,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xT
Why are you calling it an old fashioned? The old fashion is a stirred drink with no citrus…
Hi Van,
Did you happen to read the blog post? I never claim for it to be a traditional old fashioned:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Oh boy!! We didn’t have bourbon but tried this recipe with both a nice spiced rum and mezcal and both drinks were divine! Bravo and thank you. This is now in my holiday rotation!
Hi Melissa,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xT
You did it again with this recipe! I saw persimmons in our Trader Joes and the first thing I thought of was this recipe of yours I remember seeing. How did I not know about persimmons before this? The puree is delicious and the cocktail is dangerously delightful. I added 1.5 T of the puree and a heavy pour of bourbon. I’m making this for girls night, for sure!
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so happy to hear it was enjoyed! 🙂 xTieghan
Beautiful cocktail, no doubt delicious…but it’s not an Old Fashioned. Old Fashioned’s are 2oz spirit, sugar, bitters always stirred w/ a citrus zest on the rocks.
Hi Ryan! I am so glad you loved this! It has my spin on it for sure! xTieghan
Made this last night – sooo delicious! Highly recommend!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you!
I would love to make a batch of these for Friendsgiving. What would the best way to make this as a large batch cocktail?
Hey Kate! The syrup will make enough for about 6 drinks, so just multiply the ingredients for the cocktail portion for 6 people and combine everything in a pitcher. That will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I just made a test run of this for our Thanksgiving tomorrow. It’s a little on the tart side, maybe the amount of lemon and the no so sweet clementines I bought. I might dial down the lemon a tad and try with the ginger beer for a little extra spice and sweetness. Do I add ice to the shaker? I’ve only had an old fashioned once before and it was served with a large ice sphere. I’m definitely glad I found this recipe! Yum!
HI! I like to add ice to the shaker and then add 1 cube to the glass as well. Just be sure to adjust the sweetness to your liking. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Great cocktail! I made a large batch so tripled the puree recipe. the persimmons didn’t totally break down so i blended them after removing the cinnamon sticks with an immersion blender. I have a ton of puree left over in the freezer! we found it too lemon forward so dropped the lemon from our second batch. great fall flavors!
Thank you Kristine! I am so happy you loved this drink!
So pretty, I love the cozy feel of these photos! 🙂
Thank you Laura!
Hey Tieghan,
This does look lovely and seems to be a nice drink to cozy up to during the cold fall months. This seems like the perfect pre Thanksgiving drink to make and I’m not sure if I should make this or your apple butter old fashioned. Haha maybe I can make one now and the other for Christmas break. Either way, I love the beautiful fall colors and the photos. I’m looking forward to hearing about the studio barn and hope you’re staying warm! 🙂
It is such a great drink to warm up with! Seriously, I love both drinks so I totally think you should try both! Thank you Kristin!
My sister and I grew up with a Japanese Persimmon tree hanging over our driveway. Never knew what type but they were about the size of golf balls and went from apple green to a mushy orange. We hated that tree because the persimmons were considered inedible and it was our job to clean all the rotten and smashed ones out of the driveway. We did finally find a use for them. The green persimmons made great ammunition to throw at cars coming down our street as we hid behind some bushes. That was hilarious until we misidentified a car and pummeled our preacher fathers car. Let just say we got pummeled with a spanking and our career in persimmon warfare was ended. I’m trying this recipe to see if I can have a pleasant experience with a persimmon!
Haha oh wow! That is such a funny memory to have! I hope you love this drink and have a pleasant experience with a persimmon Sherron! Let me know ?
Such beautiful photos!
Rebecca
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Thank you Rebecca!
this looks gorgeous! i’ve got some bourbon that I’d love to use in this right now! never made anything with persimmon before but this look just beautiful!
Yes try this! I hope you love it Georgie! Thanks!
This drink is so pretty! An old fashioned is already such a good fall drink, so i can only imagine how festive this version tastes!
Thank you Stefanee!