This is an excellent fall/winter cocktail - the pear and spiced simple syrup are excellent compliments and keep the drink from being too sweet. However, as much as I liked this drink, it's better as the first round, rather than being the drink of the evening. By the second one, I felt my palate being a little overwhelmed and I wanted something a little cleaner.
Spiced Pear Collins
Pear puree, gin, and rosemary give this autumnal cocktail a crisp, woody sweetness, robust density, and sour, crackling effervescence.
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Credit: Niki Achitoff-Gray
INGREDIENTS
1½ oz. gin1½ oz. pear puree
¾ oz. rosemary- and clove-infused simple syrup
¾ oz. lemon juice
Dry sparkling wine or soda water, to top
1 spring rosemary, to garnish
FOR THE PEAR PUREE
2 pears, such Bosch or Bartlett, peeled and pitted
1½ oz. lemon juice
1½ tsp. fresh rosemary
FOR THE ROSEMARY AND CLOVE SIMPLE SYRUP
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 oz. whole cloves
3 sprigs rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the simple syrup: Combine the sugar, water, cloves, and rosemary in a saucepan over low heat. When it reaches a boil, remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Strain into a jar and store in the refrigerator until use. Will yield enough syrup for approximately 5 cocktails.2. Make the puree: Slice the pears and combine with lemon juice and rosemary in a blender. Blend until smooth; gently strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and discard any solids. You will have roughly 1 cup of puree, which makes about 5 cocktails. If not using right away, the puree can be frozen in an ice cube tray and then stored in an airtight contained in the freezer to be used for individual cocktails in the future.
3. Combine the puree, syrup, lemon juice, and gin in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously until chilled. Pour into a High Ball or Rocks glass and top with a small splash of sparkling wine or soda water. Garnish with rosemary to serve.
