How to Serve Plum Wine

Plums bring a sweet, delicate flavor to plum wine.

Plum wine -- a sweet, light beverage traditionally made from rice wine or white alcohol -- makes a fragrant and fruity addition to serve either alone or mixed in with other ingredients. This Japanese inspired drink is much sweeter than wine made from grapes and a has a milder flavor.

Things You'll Need

• Rocks glass or tumbler
• Martini glass
• Ice cubes
• Martini shaker
• Martini lid
• Plum wine
• Freezer
• Water
• Spoon
• Fruit juice or sparkling wine
• Orange or pineapple wedge

Instructions

Plum Wine on the Rocks

1. Serve plum wine chilled on the rocks. Choose a plum wine liqueur with a higher alcohol content. Chill a tumbler or rocks glass in a freezer, until frost forms around the outside of the glass.

2. Remove the glass from the freezer. Fill the tumbler half full of ice cubes. Pour the wine liqueur until it meets the surface of the ice cubes.

3. Add water to dilute the wine according to taste. Water cuts the intense saccharin-like taste of the wine. Swirl mixture in the glass before serving.

Plum Martini

1. Turn the plum wine into a martini. Pour several ounces of the plum wine into a martini shaker and fill half-way with ice. Add a couple ounces of vodka to increase the potency of the martini.

2. Cover the shaker with a shaker lid or a rocks glass. Shake vigorously for a minute or two.

3. Pour the mixture from the shaker into a chilled martini glass using a strainer or lid to allow the liquid to flow through but inhibit the large ice cubes. Ice crystals that have chipped of the ice cubes should float on top.

Plum Wine Cocktails

1. Turn the plum wine into a cocktail by mixing additional ingredients. Fill rocks glass 3/4 full of ice cubes.

2. Pour equal parts of plum wine and two or more mixers. Sparkling white wine adds an effervescent texture. Fruit juices lend a tropical taste. Club soda and sour mix dilute the alcohol content and lower the sweetness of plum wine.

3. Stir ingredients with a spoon and serve. Add a garnish of fruit, such as a lemon or a pineapple wedge.

Tips & Warnings

• Warm the wine on cold days or use hot plum wine as a complement to cold dishes.

• Mix drinks with juices or other non-alcoholic mixers thoroughly before serving. Alcohol floats on the top of liquids and can give a strong taste for the first sips of an unmixed cocktail.

• Plum wine usually is very sweet. Avoid mixing highly sweetened juices as it can bring a cloying taste to the mouth.

References

• Tokyo Food Page: Plum Wine in Tokyo
• Food Editorials: Plum Wine Delivers a Delicious Taste
• Drink Wine: Basic Principles of Successful Food-Wine Pairing