How much salty plum should I use per cocktail?

Start with 15 ml of salty plum syrup per drink, or half to one chopped seedless plum if you are muddling. Adjust for the saltiness of your particular plums.

Can I make salty plum cocktails without syrup?

Yes. Muddle half a seedless salty plum with your citrus and a little sugar, then shake and fine-strain. It is less consistent but works perfectly well.

Technique

Salty plum cocktails

Q: What alcohol goes with salty plums?

Gin, tequila, vodka and light rum all work well. Salty plum adds fruit, salt and sourness, so it suits clean spirits and citrus. Whisky and dark rum can work but tend to muddy the fruit.

Q: How do I make a salty plum rim?

Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass, then dip it into a mix of fine salt and ground salty plum powder. Use a shallow dish and rotate the glass gently.

Salty plum is one of the most useful cocktail ingredients you can keep in the fridge. It sweetens, sours and salts in a single pour, which means fewer bottles on the bench and a more interesting drink. This guide covers the balance, the kit and five drinks worth memorising.

Why salty plums work in cocktails

A good cocktail balances sweet, sour, strong and weak. Salty plum adds a fifth element: salt. Salt suppresses bitterness, rounds off sharp edges and makes fruit flavours read more clearly. That is why a pinch of salt is a bartender's secret in everything from margaritas to sours — and why a salty plum does the job so neatly.

It also brings fruit, colour and a little texture. A single ingredient doing four jobs is a good deal for a home bar.

Build your salty plum kit

The syrup

Your workhorse. Make a batch and keep it in the fridge. Recipe.

The plum

Seedless plums muddle cleanly and make a great garnish. Whole plums work too.

The powder

For rims. Mix with fine salt and keep in a shallow dish. See li hing mui.

The drinks

Salty plum margarita

Tequila

50 ml blanco tequila, 20 ml lime juice, 15 ml salty plum syrup, 10 ml orange liqueur. Shake hard over ice and strain into a glass with a salty plum rim. The natural pairing.

Salty plum gin sour

Gin

50 ml gin, 25 ml lemon juice, 15 ml salty plum syrup, 15 ml egg white (optional). Dry shake, then shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Silky and citrus-forward.

Salty plum martini

Gin

60 ml gin, 15 ml dry vermouth, 15 ml syrup, stirred and garnished with a whole plum. Full recipe on the salty plum martini page.

Salty plum spritz

Low ABV

60 ml prosecco, 30 ml soda, 20 ml salty plum syrup, 10 ml bitter aperitivo. Build over ice in a wine glass and stir once. Easy, long and very drinkable.

Salty plum highball

Vodka

45 ml vodka, 20 ml syrup, 10 ml lime, top with soda in a tall ice-filled glass. The simplest alcoholic serve, and the closest to the salty plum soda.

Taste as you build. Salt is cumulative, and every batch of plums is different.

Technique notes

Fine-strain muddled plums. A tea strainer removes gritty solids and gives a cleaner drink.
Chill everything. Syrup straight from the fridge means less dilution and a colder, brighter drink.
Salt the rim lightly. A heavy rim can overwhelm the first sip. Use a shallow dish and tap off the excess.
Garnish to signal flavour. A whole plum or lime wheel tells guests what they are about to taste.

Frequently asked

What alcohol goes with salty plums?+

Gin, tequila, vodka and light rum all work well. Clean spirits let the fruit show. Whisky and dark rum can work but tend to muddy it.

How much salty plum per cocktail?+

Start with 15 ml of syrup, or half to one chopped seedless plum. Adjust for how salty your particular plums are.

Can I batch cocktails ahead of time?+

Yes, for stirred or syrup-based drinks. Pre-mix the spirit, citrus and syrup, refrigerate, then add ice and soda at serving time.

How do I make a salty plum rim?+

Rub a lime wedge around the rim, then dip it into a mix of fine salt and ground salty plum powder. Rotate gently and tap off the excess.

Make it

Salty plum syrup

Recipe

Salty plum martini