Pears are an unsung hero of fall: sweet yet crisp, versatile and mellow, capable of turning savory with the right flavor companions. They are a bit of a chameleon, blending gracefully with just about anything, especially when you are crating the perfect pear cocktail to remind you of past fall weekend getaways.
We were inspired by an early fall visit to the farmers market, and crafted these crowd pleasers pear cocktails to rise to any occasion.
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A NOte About Pear Cocktail Ingredients
Pear juice and delicious pear nectar nectar are usually available at most semi-healthy food stores like Whole Foods, as well as online. Pear juice is often 100% pear, while nectar may be blended with other juice, like apple.
If you’re looking for a pure flavor, be sure to check the ingredients. We used Biorganic Pear Nectar, which was somewhat thin in body but full flavored.
And it was kid approved! One of our younger guests drank 2 full glasses with glee!
When in doubt, you can use fresh pear puree like we do in our Pear Martini cocktail recipe.
Also remember, a little bitter goes a long way. Bitters are the secret punch of any cocktail, adding a finessing layer and complexity with just a dash. We love Scrappy’s Bitters – organic, hand crafted and robust (buy them here).
Each of these recipes is for 1 drink – easy to scale up!
Goodbye Little Judy
Our Goodbye Little Judy pear cocktail is a perfect and unexpected apertif when welcoming friends for a harvest dinner. Amaretto’s warming almondine flavor is beautifully rounded out by the pear, and aromatic bitters heighten the savory notes.
Goodby Little Judy Recipe
- 1 oz pear nectar
- 1 oz amaretto liqueur
- Splash of apple juice (or calvados, if you want to kick up the alcoholic bite)
- Dash aromatic bitters
- Brut champagne
In a champagne glass, layer in the first 4 ingredients. Slowly add the champagne – slowly, so you don’t overflow the fizz. And then… Cin cin, friend.
Try a pear martini Next!
Pera Spritz Miel
Surprisingly bright but full of the rich notes of fall, this Pera Spritz Miel is a lovely porch slammer for those summer-like autumn days when summer is just not ready to quit.
Licor 43 (Cuarenta y Tres) is a Spanish liquor produced only in Cartagena, Spain and based on a recipe that’s almost 2000 years old. While its ingredients are a closely guarded secret, the floral, honeyed vanilla flavor is unique and heady (and we use it in our Keylime Martini too).
Pera Spritz Miel Recipe
- 1 oz pear nectar
- 1 oz dark rum
- ½ oz Licor 43 (quarenty y tres liqueur)
- Juice of ½ lime (or more lime juice, to taste)
- Ice
- Soda water
- Luxardo cherries and juice
Add ice to a cocktail shaker, then add the first 4 ingredients. Shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe or collins glass.
Slowly pour in about ½ oz cherry juice and a splash of soda water. Garnish with Luxardo cherries.
Sip slowly, savoring the last warm rays of summer.
Don’t forget to try our Pear Cosmopolitan recipe!
The Anise-ton – or, Mama’s Cup Of Tea
The air is cooler, the leaves are changing colors, the kids are back in school. The schedules are back to semi normal. The petri dish of the playground is back in full swing.
Perhaps you just want a warm cuppa with something extra. This twist on the classic hot toddy will warm you up in no time.
The Anise-Ton Recipe
- 1 cup brewed black tea (we love Kusmi Anastasia)
- ½ oz Spiced Simple Syrup (or more, to taste)- recipe below
- 1 oz whiskey
- 1 oz pear nectar
In a teacup, blend the tea, syrup, whiskey and pear nectar. Garnish with star anise or cinnamon stick for added aroma.
Cozy up in your favorite plush blanket and watch the rain stream down the windows while you enjoy the steam of your warming pear-flavored toddy.
You could also use bourbon to mae a anise-pear bourbon cocktail.
Spiced Simple Syrup recipe
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 6 whole star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp dried orange peel
In a small saucepan, heat water to boiling; stir in sugar until dissolved. Turn off and remove from heat.
Add spices. Cover and let steep for at least 8 hours. Strain to use. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Cocktail recipes by Tai Kojro-Badziak @taifire ; Images by Tyler Mallory, tylermallory.com @tylermalloryphotos ; Cocktail support/ taste testers: Susanna Craib-Cox and Cat Langel
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