Food & Drink

Recipe of the Week: Plum Ginger Sparkler

This tasty and festive beverage by Mackenzie Schieck is a perfect non-alcoholic option

By Compiled by Danny Calkins October 6, 2015

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Fall is in full effect so it’s time to get festive with food expert and blogger Mackenzie Schieck’s Plum Ginger Sparkler.

This delicious drink that comes with non-alcoholic ginger beer and fresh plums is part of a larger party plan Schieck put together in collaboration with Prospect Goods, a company that specializes in creative party decorations. You can check out other recipes in the plan on her blog Pine and Crave here.

“I can’t drink anymore because alcohol gives me insomnia (yes, it’s a huge bummer),” she says. “So I’m always trying to come up with fun, non-alcoholic sippers that make me feel a little more festive. My favorite part of this drink is the rich color it gets from a plum syrup, which also makes for a nice warm fall flavor.”

Cheers. 

Ingredients

  • 1 large plum (or two small ones)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 8- to 10-ounce bottles of ginger beer (my favorite is Q Ginger Beer because it’s not too sweet)
  • Extra cubed plum and candied ginger for garnishing (optional)
Directions
  1. Cut plum into quarters, removing the pit.
  2. In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons sugar, plum slices, and 1/2 cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until plum is very soft and breaks down easily.
  4. Use a fine mesh strainer to separate the syrup by pressing the back of a spoon into the pulp, forcing as much liquid through as possible. (Save the pulp for a breakfast spread! Just stir with 2 teaspoons of sugar to sweeten it.) Refrigerate syrup until cool, about 30 minutes.
  5. Divide plum syrup between four glasses, fill glasses with ice, and pour 8 to 10 ounces of ginger beer into each. Stir to mix, and then garnish with cocktail skewers loaded with cubed plum and candied ginger.

 

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