Perfect Pear

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Cocktail History

The Perfect Pear is a modern cocktail that was created in 2019 by Mony Bunni in Chicago, Illinois. The recipe is built around a unique spiced pear liqueur that is blended with earthy mezcal as the base spirit, tart citrus, and a homemade demerara sugar and baking spice syrup. The result is a smoky yet sweet drink that’s great for warm or cool weather imbibing.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. I used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal.

Pear Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with Bartlett pears, quince, sugar, and alcohol. I used Maison Ferrand Mathilde Poire Liqueur.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Spiced Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar, baking spices, and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Star Anise: This is the seed pod from the fruit of the Illicium verum plant. I used Frontier Co-op Star Anise.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant orange color

• Aroma: Noticeable anise and pear

• Taste: Dry initial flavor made up of pleasant stone fruit and spices followed by a bit of lemon

• Finish: More pear and a heavy amount of mezcal’s earthiness

Kendall’s Take
“I had to make a slight substitution when I mixed up the Perfect Pear because I couldn’t find the exact pear liqueur called for in the original recipe, but it still turned out delicious. The pear really shines here, especially alongside the baking spice syrup, which gives the drink a cozy, aromatic depth. Between those ingredients and the lemon, the mezcal blends right in and adds a subtle earthy backbone. It’s a surprisingly elegant cocktail with a lovely balance of an underused fruit and spice.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.