Spiced Pear Cocktail

Spice up your cocktail routine with this autumn inspired gin cocktail flavoured with fresh pears and whole spices!

Ingredients

Pears: You will need 3 large pears to make the syrup for this cocktail. Since pears have such a mild flavour, a long simmer, along with lightly crushing the fruit, will help to draw out maximum flavour.

Spices: Here is where you can really customize this drink. I like to use whole spices to simmer in the syrup which can then be strained out. My favourite spices to add are cinnamon sticks, star anise, and a couple of cloves. Feel free to switch up the spices or omit those you don’t like. 

Gin: Use your favourite gin. Some of my go-to brands are Aviation or Tempo, both reasonably priced and excellent to use in mixed drinks.

Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon adds a sour note to balance out the sweetness from the spiced pear syrup.

Egg whites: Strictly speaking the egg white is optional but I strongly suggest trying it. Adding an egg white to cocktails gives a creamy mouthfeel and creates a delicate foam on top. There are of course risks involved with consuming raw egg whites which can be mitigated with good handling. Take care when handling the eggs as the bacteria responsible for salmonella is usually found on the shell. When separating your egg white try using a slotted spoon, or even clean hands, rather than the broken eggshell. Another option is to use a carton of pasteurized egg whites. This can be helpful for parties where you will be making multiple drinks at a time. I haven’t noticed too much of a difference in using the carton egg whites versus fresh when making drinks for a crowd. And if you aren’t willing to take the risk, then this cocktail will still work without the egg white, it just won’t have that creamy quality. For a vegan version, I have heard of people having success using aquafaba, or the liquid drained from canned chickpeas.

Optional Garnish

Candied Pear Slices: Making candied pear slices is a fun way to garnish this drink. However, as it is a bit time consuming, they are entirely optional. To make candied pear slices, very thinly slice pears on a mandolin. In a small bowl combine sugar with a good sprinkle of cinnamon. Lightly sprinkle both sides of the sliced pears with the cinnamon sugar and lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Parchment is a must! Try to keep the pear slices dry as too much moisture can cause the sugar to become syrupy and sticky. 

Bake the pear slices at 250 deg F /121 deg C for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Check the pear slices after an hour to see if they are beginning to firm up. Carefully flip the pear slices over, they will be sticky so use a thin, metal flipper if you can. Bake until the pear slices are well browned and feel slightly firm. They will firm up more once they have cooled down. Use to garnish your cocktail or just as a snack!

How to make a Spiced Pear Cocktail

Prepare the Spiced Pear Syrup

Peel, core, and dice 3 large pears and then transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the water and sugar and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered with a lid, for about 10 minutes or until the pears are very soft. Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, gently crush the pears to help release the juices. Just mash them a couple of times, you don’t want to completely break them down to mush.

Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and whole cloves. Continue to simmer on low, covered, for another 15 to 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the syrup steep for up to another 30 minutes, depending on how strong you like your spice flavour. Strain the syrup and cool completely before using. The syrup will keep in the fridge for several weeks.