Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced fresh ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise. Bring just to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 8 minutes to infuse flavors.

Remove from heat and let the syrup steep with the spices and ginger for 15–20 minutes for stronger flavor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container, discarding solids. Cool to room temperature before using. Refrigerate leftover syrup up to 2 weeks.

Cocktail Assembly

Prepare glass rim (optional)

If you want a gingersnap rim: crush one gingersnap cookie into fine crumbs on a plate. Wet the rim of a chilled coupe or rocks glass with a lemon wedge and dip the rim into the gingersnap crumbs. Set the glass aside.

Mix the cocktail

Add SKYY Vodka (1.5 oz), St. George Spiced Pear (0.5 oz), ginger liqueur (0.5 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.75 oz), spiced syrup (0.5 oz) and 2 dashes Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker.

Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well chilled (the shaker should frost).

Double-strain the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the prepared chilled coupe or rocks glass (if using crushed gingersnap rim, avoid sliding the drink across the rim). If serving on the rocks, fill a rocks glass with fresh ice and strain over ice.

Garnish and serve

Garnish with a lemon twist expressed over the drink and rested on the rim. Optionally, place a whole gingersnap cookie on the side or sprinkle a pinch of gingersnap crumbs on top of the drink. Serve immediately.