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 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.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
• 🔗 Belle De Brillet Pear Liqueur with Cognac
• 🔗 Angostura Aromatic Bitters
• 🔗 Frontier Co-op Star Anise

Bartending Tools

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

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Coupe Glass: This is a stemmed glass with a shallow, wide bowl that’s used for serving shaken cocktails and sparkling drinks without ice.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Amehla Minimalist Coupe Glass

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.