Prickly Pear Cocktail

The weekend is made for sipping bourbon. Cheers!

Meet your Thanksgiving cocktail!

A few weeks ago it was all pumpkin, all the time. I’ve since changed my tune, and now it’s all about the pear. Yes, the pear.

Maybe it isn’t the most popular of all the fall produce, but it happens to be my favorite. Once ripe, pears are sweet, soft, and perfectly juicy. I’ve never come across a bad pear–not a one. It’s as if they pride themselves in being guaranteed good. Good ol’ reliable pear.

As always, I got a little excited at the farmer’s market and bought all the pears. And, yet again, I neglected to eat all the pears before they started getting mushy and brown–go figure.

I did what any other cocktail-loving person would do and mixed my decaying pears with bourbon.

Problem solved.

I used pears three different ways in this ___ cocktail: simple syrup, pear juice, and garnish. Let’s just say it’s very pear-y. If you find that your local grocery store doesn’t care pear juice (mine didn’t), have no fear. You’ll just have to improvise.

Pear juice can be easily made in the bowl of your blender or food processor. Add 1 cup of water and 1 peeled, cored, and chunked pear to the bowl of your blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and strain through a mesh sieve. Viola, you now have pear juice.

What makes this a prickly pear is the combination of honey, lime, and ginger. Why, I have no clue. What I do know, however, is that this cocktail rocks my world. The pear and ginger are perfect together–sweet and zingy.

The simple syrup is sweetened naturally with honey, and we all know natural is better.

And then there’s the cute little pear garnish. Use it to stir your cocktail, or do what I do and let it sit in the cocktail and soak up the bourbon, and then eat it!

This prickly pear cocktail is going to be my signature cocktail for Thanksgiving this year.

Print Recipe

Prickly Pear Cocktail

A refreshing blend of sweet pears, honey, bourbon, and lime.

Yield: 1 cocktail

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Cocktail: 

• 1 ounce bourbon
• 2 ounces pear juice
• 1-2 teaspoons honey-ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
• ginger ale
• lime wedge

Honey-Ginger Simple Syrup: 

• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 quarter-size slices of ginger
• 1 pear, peeled, cored, and diced

Directions:

Cocktail: 

1. Add bourbon, pear juice, and simple syrup to the cup of a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Give the mixture a few vigorous shakes.
2. Pour over ice and top with a splash of ginger ale. Add a fresh squeeze of lime. Serve.

Honey-Ginger Simple Syrup: 

1. Bring water and honey to a gentle boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Turn down the heat to low and add the ginger and pear. Mash the pear slightly with a fork or potato masher to release its juices.
3. Reduce the mixture by half, about 25-30 minutes. Cool the mixture.
4. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use. The mixture will last for up to 1 month in the fridge.

The pear syrup is also delicious added to champagne or mixed with club soda for a bubbly beverage.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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