Another autumnal fruit, the Pear too carries a sweetness into the cooler months and while mildly similar, is distinctly unlike the apple. The apple, firm and round and colorful has a consistent texture and can tolerate most any condition. It is the most reliable and versatile of the fruits. Pears are different. Pears, while firm at the start, if given the right environment, become soft as they ripen, and their skin, once tough becomes delicate and easily hurt. I suppose I am a lot like the pear in that respect … hardened in my youth and exterior … given my current life partner and circumstances, I’ve softened as I’ve aged and my core holds a tenderness that was once unrecognizable. I am more vulnerable now than I once was. Their flesh, whilst soft and sweet, contains a grit that is notable on the palate. No amount of altering the pear can remove that grit. With a signature shape, it hang from the tree with a narrow head that then yields to a rotund bottom. They are not uniform. They lack versatility and are best received as they are, as a whole fruit.
A common household fruit today, pears have withstood the test of time as one of the most ancient foods with records showing them being harvested as early as 1000 BC. The pear teaches us that in order to survive the test of time, we must be resilient. Resiliency at times is equated with one being hardened. While not intentional, it is a by-product of challenging conditions. When we are hardened, we are less vulnerable to our predators. But with time and the right conditions … we can allow our core to soften; and as we soften, we also sweeten. The world receives us best in this state. But let us not forget the resiliency that got us here. With one bite, the world appreciates the journey that we’ve taken … allowing our core to ripen and our skin to soften … and yet…. because of that sweetness, they don’t reject the pear for its grit. A little grit never hurt anyone.
May all who started out hardened find the conditions in life to soften and let their bitterness sweeten. The vulnerability of a soft and sweetened spirit is a sign of the euphoria that we all aspire to attain. Whilst they soften and sweeten … let their grit remain. True grit is the key to success and survival in all places, in all of time. Pair that sweetness now with a little spice … and by damn it, you’ve got one fine cocktail.
On a journey to give the pear its due diligence, to cradle its sweetness and at the same time give a respectful nod to the spice that is signature of this season, I searched the web for the perfect autumn pear cocktail and came up empty-handed. Every recipe that I tried was too sweet, too strong, not complex enough or too heavy. Some sounded promising but the ingredients were too obscure. So I spent a solid 2 weeks playing mixology. I searched the liquor stores high and low and I experimented with various flavors. I even made a spiced simple syrup to help elicit the flavors we so often equate with the season.
In the end, I created a cocktail that contains ingredients that are easy to find in a liquor store with a decent inventory. It yields tones of both sweetness and spice and is not so strong that it belongs on your grandfathers bar list and yet is strong enough that it earns its place on the adult cocktail menu.
I present to you the winner of my mixology experiment :
The Autumn Pear Martini
- 1 oz pear vodka
- 1/2 oz pear liqueur
- 1/4 oz spiced simple syrup (recipe below)
- 1/8 oz Crown Apple
- a few drops of lemon juice
Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass
(For this recipe I used a measuring shot glass. This recipe makes one small martini but you could certainly multiply these amounts for a larger batch or convert the ounces to “parts”.)
Spiced simple syrup:
- half cup of cane sugar
- half cup water
- 1 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 whole all spice
Heat sugar and water until sugar dissolves. Add the spices. Continue to heat on low until syrup reduces and thickens just a tad (not too long though or you’ll turn it into caramel) and the flavor of the spices infuses the syrup. Once cooled, pour into a glass container with the spices still intact and keep in the fridge for future fall drink recipes 🙂
And the two runner-ups were:
Spiced Pear Nectar
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz pear nectar
- 1/4 oz pear liqueur
- 1/8 oz Crown Apple
- 1/4 oz spiced simple syrup
- a few drops of lemon juice
This cocktail certainly tastes like fall! But the thickness and sweetness that the nectar, simple syrup and liqueur brought to the cocktail knocked it down in the rankings for me. But if you’re into sweet drinks and like a whiskey glass over a martini glasses, this one may just do it for you! Plus, nectar (found in the hispanic aisle for about $1/can is cheaper than vodka ;))
Orange-Pear Martini
- 1 oz pear liqueur
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1/2 oz pear nectar
- 1/4 oz spiced simple syrup
Again, too sweet for my tastes in a martini but the orange and pear complement one another nicely. And with less nectar, this one is less thick than the Spiced Pear Nectar and slightly more complex in flavor despite using less ingredients.
Happy Autumn Everyone!
