Pear Sonata

While I’ve never put a pear in my purse, nor my wife’s purse for that matter, I have played an entire foosball game with a satsuma mandarin. Hold your questions, you’ll just have to try it for yourself. All that being said, one place I do enjoy a pear is in my cocktails. I came across the Pear Sonata in one of my favorite books, Left Coast Libations. This crisp, delicate cocktail comes courtesy of Joel Baker, formerly of Bourbon and Branch fame. I look forward to paying Joel a visit across the bay at Hard Water, where he is currently tending bar. Maybe if I’m lucky he’ll make me a delicious autumn cocktail.  But in the meantime I’ll just have to make my own.

Photography shot with the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 digital SLR camera. Small in size, enormous in performance.

Pear Sonata

A crisp, delicate cocktail that celebrates pear season

Servings: 1 cocktail; foam makes enough for about 10 cocktails

INGREDIENTS

For the cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz pear eau de vie
• pear foam
• cinnamon (for garnish)
• slice pear (for garnish)

For the pear foam

• 7 oz pear nectar
• 3 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 2 1/2 oz egg whites
• whipped cream canister with 2 nitrous oxide cartridges

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the pear foam

1. Peel a couple ripe pears: I used Red Anjou. Juice the pears, and measure out 7 ounces of pear nectar. If you don't have a juicer you can use bottled pear nectar. However, I would recommend using a brand with as few artificial ingredients as possible.
2. Add the pear nectar to the whipped cream canister, along with the egg whites and the St. Germain. Next, close the canister and  give it a hard shake to combine the ingredients. Charge the canister with one nitrous oxide cartridge, give it another hard shake, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

To make the cocktail

1. Add the gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, dry vermouth, and pear eau de vie to your shaker. Fill your shaker with ice and shake for a full 10 seconds.
2. Double strain through a fine mesh strainer over new ice into a small Collins glass. Remove your pear foam from the fridge. Charge with the second nitrous oxide cartridge and give it another hard shake before topping the cocktail with foam.
3. Garnish with a little freshly grated cinnamon and a slice of fresh pear.

(images by HonestlyYUM)