Spiced Pear Gin Fizz
Andrea Potischman
Oct 7, 2017
This beauty is a spiced pear gin fizz, and it is delicious. Flavorful and lovely to look at, yet very different from my apple gin fizz cocktail I posted about not that long ago, I found this recipe on Jelly Toast, a blog by another foodie/photographer, Emily Caruso. I just had to try it. If you love a Tom Collins, a Gin Fizz is the frothy, bubbly cousin. The secret to creating the perfect creaminess and froth is to shake it well, I mean shake it. This may take a bit of practice.
Pears
Pears always remind me of cooler months. Grown in Oregon and Washington, you can find some varieties in season in North America from August through May (and even into June some years). There are 10 varieties of pears: Starkrimson, Concorde, Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Sackel, and Forelle.
For this recipe, I used Green Anjou, as this pear offers a perfect balance of soft and sweet with a hint of subtle lemon. Anjous pears a fantastic raw or used for baking or poaching. Anjous are truly good for just about anything, which is one of the reasons that it is one of the most popular varieties out there.
The subtle addition of a spiced pear simple syrup is a nice touch to this elegant cocktail. Star anise and cardamom add depth to this otherwise light and refreshing lemony gin beverage.
There are many cocktails out there that use egg whites to make the foamy top layer. Although food safety is very important to me, using egg whites in a drink does not concern me. The froth factor obtained by using egg whites is a real eye-catcher, and it’s not as risky as you may think. Egg whites have been used in classic cocktails for centuries. When used correctly, they add to the texture and body of a drink in a way that you can’t get with any other ingredient or method.
For safety tips on using egg whites in cocktails, check out this link. If you have never tried a classic Gin Fizz, this infused recipe is a great starting point and a way to open the gateway to a whole new collection of incredible (and often beautiful) cocktails.
Spiced Pear Gin Fizz
Ingredients:
For the Spiced Pear Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Anjou pear, cored and cut into pieces
- 3 star anise
- 2 cardamom pods
For the Spiced Pear Gin Fizz:
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 1/4 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 1 large egg white (or 1 ounce pasteurized liquid egg white)
- 3/4 ounces spiced pear simple syrup
- 1-2 ounces club soda
- star anise, for garnish
Directions:
- For the Spiced Pear Simple Syrup: Place the water, sugar, pear, star anise, and cardamom pods in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Using a fine strainer, strain out the solids and discard them. Set aside.
- For the Spiced Pear Gin Fizz: Fill a cocktail shaker with a good amount of ice. Add the gin, lemon juice, egg white and spiced pear simple syrup. Place the top on the shaker and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds or until the shaker becomes frothy.
- Strain into a cocktail glass, top with club soda and garnish with a star anise.
Anything with pears always catches my eye. Can’t wait to try this! Will let you know.
Pears are so delicious. Do let me know how you like the drink.