Pears in Alcohol

I’ve seen a lot of different ways of using pears and alcohol together.

First is probably the most complex – making a pear brandy from it, such as Clear Creek Distillery does. First, they have to ferment the pears, and then they distill it to get just the alcohol, labeling it pear brandy or eau-de-vie de poire. They will also sell it to you with a pear in the bottle for more money. If you are wondering how they got such a big pear in a little bottle, well, they put the bottle on the pear tree shortly after the pear blossom was pollinated, so the pear grows inside the bottle. When it is “picked”, they have to scrub the pear and the bottle, which is a tricky task, and you get less eau-de-vie since the pear takes up space.

On the market, there is also pear flavored vodka such as that sold by Absolut Vodka, Hiram Walker Schnapps Pear, and other pear infused spirits and pear liqueurs. However, you can try infusing alcohol such as vodka with pears yourself, or try making a pear liqueur, both of which benefit with a splash of pear brandy:

• How to Make Pear Vodka
• Pear Infused Vodka
• Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe
• Put a large ripe pear in a large jar, poking the pear first with a fork. Add 4 cups of vodka and place a lid on the jar tightly. After one month at room temperature, add 1 ½ cups of sugar, and mix gently before replacing the lid and storing for another 3-6 months. Add ¼ cup pear eau-de-vie, mix gently, and serve.
• You could also make a pear style dessert pommeau, with two parts pear brandy and one part store bought pear juice. However, it will be cloudy.

In Cider: Hard and Sweet, Ben Watson includes a Pears Preserved in Calvados recipe, which he says makes an excellent Christmas present. The 2 quart recipe includes:

• 3-4 pounds of pears
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 ½ cup water
• Juice and zest of two fresh limes
• 2 star anise pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4-6 cardamom pods
• 6-8 allspice berries
• 2 ½ cups Calvados

Follow directions similar to Martha Stewart. Another variation is to only spice it with vanilla.

Pear Cocktail Recipes:

• More Absolut Pear Vodka Recipes
• Drinks containing Absolut Pear Vodka
• Pears Are the Fresh Cocktail Trend for 2007 (with recipes)
• Pear Margaritas!
• Pear Schapps recipes by Hiram Walker Schnapps
• Pear Schapps recipes
• Champage with Pear Liqueur