The Tilted Plum
The great American poet William Carlos Williams would probably be forgiven for eating the delicious plum from his friend’s icebox if he had grilled it and muddled it with bourbon. The tilted plum combines heat, sweetness and just a touch of sour. The heat from the bourbon softens the fruit and intensifies its sweetness. The lemon juice is like using salt — without it you’d notice something is off. And lavender bitters, well, we like to be classy every once in awhile. Bottom’s up. (For a nibble, Bresaola is lovely with this.)
Directions
Prepare the grill for direct heat over medium heat (medium-high for gas).
Halve and pit the plum. Place cut side down on the grill and grill, turning, until they soften and lightly char, 6 to 10 minutes. The riper it is, the faster it will soften.
Cut the plum halves into chunks and drop into a cocktail shaker. Muddle and smoosh the fruit until it’s almost all pulp. Pour in the bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup. Fill with the shaker with ice, as well as halfway up 2 rocks glasses. Shake well, then strain into the glasses. Drop 3 drops of bitters over top of each.
Cook’s Notes
To make your own simple syrup, heat 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate. The syrup will last several weeks in the refrigerator. Makes 1/2 cup syrup.
