Persimmon Sour Recipe

[Photographs: Kelly Carámbula]

You may have noticed the orange fruit that looks like a cousin to the tomato, but have you tried a persimmon lately? There are two common varieties available in the United States: Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu persimmons are light to bright orange with a round shape, and are non-astringent, which means they can be eaten when they're firm or ripe.

Hachiya, on the other hand, have a deeper orange color with a cone-like shape. These should be eaten quite ripe—when soft, near mushiness—or else they'll have a very unpleasant flavor. If it's very ripe, you can even scoop out the flesh with a spoon and eat the slightly sweet, earthy and sticky flesh.

When incorporating persimmons into seasonal cocktails, the first step is to make a purée. This slightly thick, bright orange liquid has notes of sweet earthiness. To bring a little punch to the cocktail, I added lime and gin to create a persimmon sour. The final cocktail is a bold, orange-hued drink that is at first sour, then earthy and rich. It's the kind of drink that will keep you on your toes.