Almost a peartini, but better and more delicate.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It’s barely fall anymore, Thanksgiving is over, and there’s only so many good cranberry cocktail recipes I can come up with and I’m just not ready to sink down to the level of creating a pumpkintini, so a pear flavor makes sense. It’s sweet and delicate and a crowd-pleaser. This is actually something I served this year for Thanksgiving guests and it was a big hit. On the other hand, my “Pear Sour” not so much, which is why you won’t be seeing that recipe here… I’m fortunate enough to have friends and family who have wide ranging discerning tastes who are willing to let me know when something just doesn’t have it, but also when it’s working well.
So this one came from thinking about a “peartini” but wanting to make it more delicate and with more of a distinct pear flavor. The obvious answer was to start with a high quality vodka brand like Grey Goose Poire, which is only slightly sweet and has a wonderful scent, but I decided instead to make my own pear infused vodka. Then to give it a floral quality I added elderflower liqueur and a touch of lemon to offset the sweetness. There are already recipes that combine pear with elderflower, like this one, but most of them follow standard martini protocol and only a few include the kicker which is some pure fresh pear juice. How do you get fresh pear juice you ask? My favorite method is to just cram half a pear into my handheld lemon squeezer and squish until I get the precious few drops I need. I suppose you could use an apple press or chop it up and squeeze it through a sieve, strainer or cheesecloth but that’s just a big pain in the ass. Get a lemon squeezer. The most important thing is that the pear should be fresh and not cooked. It’s so light and refreshing it’s like spring all over again, but with a fall flavor!
2 oz. pear vodka (Grey Goose Poire or make your own)
½ oz. St. Germain or other elderflower liqueur.
½ oz. fresh squeezed pear juice (use lemon/lime press)
½ oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish
Pear wedge for garnish
Shake with ice, strain and pour into martini glass, garnish and serve.