Spiced Pear Old Fashioned Recipe

Cook the fruit and spices

Combine the chopped pear, sugar, water, sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves and peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, or until the pear is very soft and the liquid is fragrant and slightly reduced.

Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the lemon juice to brighten the flavors and stop the cooking.

Strain and cool

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl or jar, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard solids. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Syrup will keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.

Place a mixing glass or short tumbler on a bar mat. Add the spiced pear syrup (0.75 oz) and bitters to the glass.

Add the whiskey (2 oz) and optional pear liqueur (0.25 oz) to the glass.

Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir gently for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted (about 10–15% dilution).

Strain the cocktail over a large ice cube in an old fashioned glass.

Express the orange peel over the drink by holding it skin-side down above the glass and giving it a firm twist to release the oils, then rub the peel around the rim and drop it into the glass.

Garnish with a thin pear slice or a cinnamon stick if desired. Serve immediately.