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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. We used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal because it has a palatable mezcal flavor with notes of ginger, cinnamon, and tangerine. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal.
Pear Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with Bartlett pears, quince, sugar, and alcohol. We used Maison Ferrand Mathilde Poire Liqueur because it has a rich fruit flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Pear Syrup in place of the pear liqueur.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Spiced Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar, baking spices, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Star Anise: This is the seed pod from the fruit of the Illicium verum plant. We used star anise from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We 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. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-08.
Tasting Notes
The Perfect Pear features anise and pear aromas, a tastefully dry initial flavor that is made up of pleasant stone fruit and spices followed by a bit of lemon, and an aftertaste comprised of more pear and a heavy amount of mezcal’s earthiness.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We have to give credit where it’s due! We both thought the Perfect Pear was one incredibly tasty mezcal cocktail. Alex especially loved it, and Kendall even pointed out that people unfamiliar with mezcal might not even know it’s in the drink because the pear and spices mute it so well.
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As Alex said, we had to tweak this recipe a little when we tried it because we didn’t have access to the specific pear liqueur called for by its creator, but this cocktail ended up being really, really delicious nonetheless. I think this is the first one I’ve had where the pear really shines, and that’s probably thanks to the fact that it’s paired with the baking spice syrup, which admittedly gives it a more fall-inspired vibe. Regardless of the season in which you sip it, the mezcal ends up being hardly noticeable as a result of those two ingredients and the lemon. I bet if you served this to someone not used to mezcal’s earthy flavor, they may not even know it’s in the drink at all. I’m a fan!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.
![Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave [A Cocktail Recipe Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41J8UixQqLL._SL75_.jpg)
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-08.
Perfect Pear
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.
Ingredients
Method
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Add mezcal, pear liqueur, lemon juice, spiced Demerara syrup, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a cocktail glass
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Garnish with star anise.
