Six Pear And Herb Pairings To Take Your Mixology Up A Notch
Mixology essentially means experimenting with lots of different ingredients to craft unexpectedly delicious drinks that pack quite a bit of flavour. From experimenting with savoury jus and curries to adding peppers and paprika to cocktails, mixologists have come up with lots of different flavour combinations to prepare drinks with stellar twists.
Such is the case with herbs and pears, two components that recur in mixology because of their versatility and the sheer range they offer to mixologists in terms of experimenting with their flavour profiles.
Many cocktail concoctions can be prepared using a pairing of herbs and the fresh, crispy, crunchy pears which liven up our fruit basket particularly during the fall. Sweet tarts, pies, candied pears and cobblers notwithstanding, the fruit can be used widely in mixing drinks either in the form of liqueur or fresh cut pieces muddled with wine to prepare sangria. And herbs like mint, basil, thyme and rosemary are immensely favoured by mixologists as a pairing with pears because they bring vibrancy and freshness to the cocktails, preventing the fruit from becoming too overwhelming.
Bringing herbs and the poached or fresh, crispy fruit together to craft cocktails is a no brainer. It is simply a delightful way to indulge in the sweet, bright notes of this fine pairing.
Here are some herb and pear combinations that are perfect for crafting cocktails at your home bar:
Pear Liqueur And Sage
Sage is a splendid garnish for cocktails which require a little bit of aromatic depth and intensity. It is perfect for drinks containing floral or botanical elements like gin because it introduces a slight intensity into an otherwise light cocktail. You can use pear liqueur in gin based cocktails because the sweet drink really compliments the fresh flavours of the spirit, and pair this with a sage garnish for a spicy and umami hit. Pear liqueur and sage is an ingenious combination that makes for a fine flavour balance in the cocktail recipe.
Rosemary Infused Pear Juice
Pears can be incorporated into cocktails in multiple ways and one such method is to use pear juice as a mixer in vodka or gin based drinks. As well, rosemary has a piney, earthy aroma of its own which makes it even more conducive to cocktails by introducing a fragrant depth into the mixes. Bring together rosemary and pear juice in an infusion that would enhance the sweetness of the pears in cocktails without overpowering the herb’s umami notes in inspired sweet and savoury mixes.
Muddled Mint And Pear Slices
Mint is a splendid addition to many cocktails because it introduces a very rejuvenating quality into alcoholic mixes. Paired with slices of a crispy pair, the herb also highlights some of its fruity sweetness by becoming a contrasting flavour that adds a vibrant texture to the mix. You can muddle mint with fresh pair slices in drinks that contain floral spirits like elderflower liqueur for that fruity and herby zest.
Chopped Pear And Thyme Infused Simple Syrup
There are many ways to introduce fruity flavours into a cocktail and one of them is to make your simple syrup a flavoured concoction. Such simple syrups work well for rum or whisky based cocktails in which the potent flavours of the spirit can be undercut by the infused sweetener. Chopped sweet pairs coupled with the slightly bitter yet floral notes of thyme infused into simple syrup are a wonderful pairing to craft eclectic summertime mixes.
Lavender Infused Pear Liqueur
Another way to add a touch of floral elements into your pear-forward drink is to use edible lavender. This will introduce a very inviting aroma into your cocktail while the pear liqueur’s sweetness will undercut some of the potent floral flavours to arrive at a perfectly balanced drink.
Crushed Basil And Poached Pear
This might seem like a quirky combination at first but add fresh crushed basil to poached pears and then use this bright and sweet yet soft and warm combination as a mixer in preparing tequila or vodka-forward cocktails. The herbaceous profile of basil coupled with the sweet fruit is a great addition to drinks which demand subtle sweetness but intense flavour notes.
