Pear Me Out Recipe

Cook and strain

Combine 1 cup chopped ripe Bartlett pear, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and cook gently 8–10 minutes until pears are very soft and syrupy.

Blend and strain

Remove from heat, stir in 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Let cool slightly, then transfer mixture to a blender and pulse until smooth (10–15 seconds). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a jar, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Chill. Yields roughly 3/4–1 cup pear syrup.

Combine 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a bare simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat and cool. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Yields about 6 oz.

Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass by placing it in the freezer or filling with ice water while you prepare the cocktail.

Fill a cocktail shaker with 1 cup ice.

Add 2 oz Glenfiddich 12 single malt Scotch, 3/4 oz pear syrup, 1/2 oz fresh pear juice, 1/2 oz brown sugar simple syrup and 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice to the shaker. Add 2 dashes black walnut bitters.

Dry-shake (no ice) vigorously for 10 seconds to emulsify and integrate the fruit components, then add ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled (or combine in a single ice-filled shake for 20–25 seconds if you prefer).

Discard ice/water from the chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail through a fine-mesh strainer into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass to remove small ice chips and any fruit pulp.

Garnish with a thin pear slice rested on the rim and/or a lemon twist expressed over the drink. Serve immediately.