This post contains affiliate links. See our disclosure policy here.
Cocktail History
The Plum Swizzle is a Sips From Scripts original tiki cocktail that was created for a Christmas cocktail challenge. Inspired by a bartender from Romania named Puiu Alexandru, the recipe starts with a base of plum brandy, which is the most popular native creation of Romania. It then adds in a mixture of go-to tiki ingredients including rum, orgeat syrup, citrus juice, violet liqueur, and absinthe to create a strong but flavorful tropical drink with unique floral notes.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Plum Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with plums and distilled wine. We couldn’t find plum brandy, so we used a plum wine from Door Peninsula Winery in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. For a mocktail version of this drink, try plum juice in place of the plum brandy.
Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. We used Appleton Estate Special Gold Rum because it has a delicious rum flavor with notes of vanilla and baking spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.
Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. We used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Overproof Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged and contains over 50% alcohol content. We used J. Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum because it has unique vanilla, banana, coconut, and molasses flavors. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the overproof rum.
Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France with distilled white wine. We used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac because it has a rich mouthfeel and a delightful brandy spice with notes of peach, almond, and cinnamon. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Orgeat Syrup: This is a sweetener made with roasted almonds, orange blossom, sugar, and water. We used Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup because it’s delicious and high quality.
Crème De Violette: This is a liqueur made with violets, sugar, and alcohol. We used Rothman & Winter Crème De Violette Liqueur because it’s made with a brandy base and no added vanilla or other fruit flavors, making it a true violet liqueur. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Violet Syrup in place of the violet liqueur.
Absinthe: This is a spirit made with anise, wormwood, fennel, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Great Lakes Distillery Amerique 1912 Absinthe Verte because it’s flavorful and made locally to us. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Absinthe in place of the absinthe.
Mint Sprig: This is an herb. We used Mojito mint.
Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Plum Swizzle combines absinthe and mint aromas with a sweet orange-forward taste, which is accented by the rum’s spiciness and the brandy’s slight burn along with a bit of lime for balance. While held in the mouth, the plum comes forward, elevated by the floral liqueur, and lends its slightly bitter yet tart fruit taste going down.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Thanks to the plum wine, this drink definitely stands out among other tiki drinks! We hope you and our Secret Santé find it to be as delicious as we did.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Recipe
Add plum brandy or wine, dark rum, orange juice, overproof rum, brandy, lime juice, orgeat syrup, crème de violette, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a highball or tiki glass over fresh crushed ice.
Spray with absinthe.
Garnish with mint sprig and orange twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add plum brandy or wine, dark rum, orange juice, overproof rum, brandy, lime juice, orgeat syrup, crème de violette, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a highball or tiki glass over fresh crushed ice.
Spray with absinthe.
Garnish with mint sprig and orange twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use plum juice in place of the plum brandy, Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum, Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy, Monin Premium Violet Syrup in place of the violet liqueur, and Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Absinthe in place of the absinthe to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
Find collections of cocktail glassware and bartending tools we recommend for your home bar in our Amazon shop.
More Tiki Cocktails
If you like this tiki-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Jamaican Mule: A rum cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, Angostura aromatic bitters, candied ginger, a lime slice, and an orchid blossom
Staycation: A rum and whiskey cocktail made with lemon juice, coconut cream, apricot liqueur, passion fruit syrup, a lemon slice, and mint
Greena Colada: A rum cocktail made with triple sec, lime juice, lemon juice, Green Chartreuse, velvet falernum liqueur, crème of coconut, mint, and a lime wheel
Nui Nui: A rum cocktail made with orange juice, lime juice, cinnamon syrup, vanilla syrup, St. Elizabeth’s allspice dram, Angostura aromatic bitters, an orange twist, and a cinnamon stick
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2023-09-16.
