Pear Sonata

November 5, 2013
Drinks,Recipes

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.

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

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

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

 

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata // HonestlyYUM

Pear Sonata

A crisp, delicate cocktail that celebrates pear season
Servings: 1 cocktail; foam makes enough for about 10 cocktails

INGREDIENTS

For the cocktail

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)

Conversation

Hello Todd,
Though I loved the pear foam, but it’s hard to find the nitrous oxide cartridges in my region. Can you please suggest an alternative? I so, so want to serve these for my house warming party at the end of this month.

You might try whipping the ingredients together with a hand mixer, sort you would a normal whipped cream. It might be a bit more dense and not as airy, but I’m sure it would still taste delicious. Also, maybe add the ingredients to the egg whites slowly, and watch to see if your egg whites start to break. I’ll try to give it a try with that method sometime this week and I’ll let you know! Goodluck!!

p.s. the drink will still be tasty without the foam in case it doesn’t work out for ya.

St. George is some of my favorite … this looks delicious my god! … And, great for this time of year! Great call! I’ll have to make my brother make me one … he’s a much better concoction-ist than I. 😉

I’m pretty sure I’ll be making this for my Thanksgiving dinner. I just have to figure out what pear eau de vie is…

Thanks Brandon, it’s a pear brandy. St George makes a really good one 🙂 Highly recommended!

As delicious as this drink looks, I’m absolutely fascinated by the glasses they’re served in! Where might I get my own? I need them in my life

I love the pear foam- what a perfect way to take a cocktail to the next level. Beautiful! Can you come over and make one for me? Pretty please?

I mean… dang. I know everyone is commenting on the foam, but I can’t help it. I want to put that on everything right now. Beautiful drink! It’s about time I started thinking about pear cocktails…

Would this work well with Vodka instead of Gin? Either way, looks really good. Must try this.

Seriously intrigued by that pear foam. And St Germain in ANY cocktail also makes it good enough for me. This looks so perfect for winter! (I’m not a pear person either- but pear cocktails are the best)

Todd, you never fail to amaze. I LOVE pears and gin so I will be partaking in this drink ASAP – as soon as it’s no longer morning 😉 Thanks for posting!

This looks so refreshing and decadent! I love pears and I feel like we don’t do enough with them, but the pear foam idea is so unique. Must try! x

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