A lot of fall and winter cocktails and drinks seem to track toward the soporific - either really rich and creamy, like eggnog and or the warm and cosy like hot toddies, mulled wine and boozy hot chocolates. I’m not opposed to these drinks - they are all amazing in the right context (like when you can take a long afternoon nap directly afterward) but they can be a little overwhelming sometimes. I wanted to make an autumnal cocktail that didn’t feel quite so coma-inducing.
This cocktail has all kinds of fall flavour - crisp pears, earthy-malty whiskey, savoury rosemary and a bit of tart lemon to pep everything up. It’s cosy and soothing, but not sleep inducing. You could even have one before dinner if you are celebrating Thanksgiving today. It won’t take up to much room, so you can still have turkey, stuffing and pie. Happy Thanksgiving!
pear & rosemary cocktail:
⅓ cup pear juice or nectar
2 sprigs rosemary (plus a few for garnish)
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup water
½ a medium pear, roughly chopped (save the other half to slice for garnish)
4 ounces bourbon/ Tennessee whiskey
2 ounces lemon juice
soda water
Combine pear juice, 2 sprigs rosemary, sugar, water and chopped pear in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain out solids. Chill in the fridge until cool.
Combine pear and rosemary syrup with lemon juice and whiskey, stir to combine. Serve between 4 glasses and top them up with a splash of soda water. Serve garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of pear.
