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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 fermented agave and yeast, which are distilled after roasting agave hearts in underground pits to develop a smoky, complex flavor.
Pear Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with pears, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a delicate, fruit flavor.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.
Spiced Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with spices, demerara sugar, and water, which are heated and infused to develop a rich spiced, caramel flavor.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.
Star Anise: This is a spice made from the fruit of an evergreen tree, which is dried for its strong, licorice-like flavor.
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.
