I recently posted on my Instagram about my excitement around finally learning how to use the fruit of my lone Italian Prune Plum (or Empress Plum) tree that grows right outside the back door to my kitchen. I spent all day Sunday learning how to make plum jam (among other things) and then was taught how to can all of this delicious plum jam I’d made.
In that post I casually mentioned that I was going to make some Gin Sours with egg whites and a dollop of that plum jam, and so many people reached out about a recipe for said drink that I decided I would just post it here.
It’s super simple, really, and I’ve spoken extensively about using jams, preserves, and marmalades in cocktails before. But here’s the recipe I’ve been using this week, and it’s been well-received down at the bar.
As for the plum jam recipe, there are tons of them online. We used the recipe from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and it was perfect.
Italian Plum Sour Print Me
- 2 oz (60 ml) London dry gin
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz (15 ml) 2:1 simple syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) plum jam
- ½ oz (15 ml) egg whites, lightly beaten
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake well until cold.
- Fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Recipe printed courtesy of jeffreymorgenthaler.com
I couldn’t find Italian Prune plums but Greengage plums are in season in England.
60ml Gin
30ml Dolin Blanc vermouth
22.5ml Lemon juice
20ml egg white
Shake and fine strain.
It looks and tastes amazing.
Could a barspoon of plum eau de vie work in this as a finishing touch, or would it ruin the balance?
I think that would be an amazing finishing touch, Liam.
Just made this with some damson jam – was wonderful, thank you!
Oh man. We used to have a plum tree, but it kept producing more bad (aesthetically) than good fruit so had to chop it down. Never once thought about making jam out of the gnarly looking fruits…
Looks a great drink. I’ll give it a try with another jam I can make.
BTW, your first book has taught me more than any YouTube cocktail guy has been able to teach me about tekkerz and skills with cocktails. Got Drinking Distilled on its way to me so looking forward to more of your wise words.
That means a lot. Thank you!
Forgot to mention plum tired of not being able to travel out of the USA. But will buy plums since this drink looks great.
Hahaha
groaning from the plum play on words.
Looks awesome, what type of glass is that
It’s the Libbey Georgian Irish Coffee glass, the same glass they use at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco for their Irish Coffees.
Looks tasty Jeff!! Would you use your immersion blender trick (from TBASE) on this one or no?
Oh definitely!!
‘½ oz (15 ml) egg whites, lightly beaten’ – do you beat the egg whites before adding them into the shaker? Is that why you don’t do the dry shake?
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Yeah if you beat them lightly they’re easy to measure and don’t require the dry shake.
Thanks for the recipe. Stole plums from my neighbour’s tree … I think they will love sharing the spoils!
Such cryptic plumage… lovely.
Sounds great. It seems like you’re just beginning to plum the depths of how to use that tree. Sorry not sorry.
Yeah I’m glad that I have it, otherwise I’d have to get jam at the grocery store and unfortunately…. I’m plum broke.