Looking over the lakes and mountains of Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada last autumn, I sighed with satisfaction. It could have been the view, or maybe the pear Cosmopolitan cocktail in my hand.
I thought I’d find my happy place on this Rocky Mountaineer railway trip at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Imagine my surprise when I not only found my bliss at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, but also fell in love with the Cosmopolitan. We all know this drink from Sex and the City, but it had been far too sweet for me for at least a decade.
The pear Cosmopolitan recipe won my heart. I also created a pear martini recipe once I got home, but only after I had perfected that Cosmopolitan drink.
On my last night at the luxurious, yet rustically inspired Jasper Park Lodge, I took a seat at the bar before dinner. The bartender gave me the menu, but nothing seemed to fit my mood. Like the best of bartenders, she started asking me a few questions. Did I like fruity drinks? Some, but not too sweet. Did I like tart drinks? Yes. Did I like whisky or vodka? More vodka, but I loved a good Scotch. She had just the thing.
What she came back with was a beautiful, cloudy drink with three floating cranberries in a martini glass. She declared that it was a pear Cosmopolitan. I was intrigued. How did you make a pear Cosmo? With pear vodka, of course! I peppered her with more questions. I had to know what else was in this drink that was so smooth, with just a bit of crisp tartness on the edge of my tongue as it hit my palate.
But why wasn’t it pink? Everyone knows Cosmopolitan cocktails are pink. Not if you use white cranberry juice. Ah-ha! That took that girlie, tropical look out of the cocktail and made it into something infinitely more grown-up and something even Carrie Bradshaw should have known to drink once she hit thirty. I mean really, who needs a pink drink, when you can show off with a cloudy white that matches anything you are wearing?
This ingenious bartender, who may or may not have even come up with this recipe, chatted with me as I sat and sipped. Naturally, I ordered another to bring to dinner with friends. She went on to give me the best gift of all. She wrote the recipe on a coaster.
creating a Pear Cocktail recipe
I brought it home and recreated it, but her measurements were a bit off. Like most bartenders, she eyeballs a lot to make it perfect. I found her measurement for the lime was too much, so I cut it down. Too much lime overpowers the subtle delicious pear in the pear vodka. Fresh lime juice is also much better than bottled lime juice.
As long as you have the ingredients, it is easy to create your own pear Cosmopolitan cocktail at home. It’s also the perfect party cocktail, especially in the autumn and winter months when pears are found in abundance at the local shops. Harry & David would be proud to have this served alongside their famous pears, I’m sure.
Pear Cosmopolitan Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Absolut pear vodka
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (add 1/4oz if you like it tart, but you will lose some of the pear)
- 3/4 oz simple syrup
- 1/2 oz Contreau
- 1 oz white cranberry Juice
- 3 fresh cranberries or a slice of pear for garnish
Pear Cosmopolitan Instructions
- Pour all liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice
- Shake
- Strain into a chilled martini glass (We love these!)
- Place three cranberries in your Pear Cosmopolitan as a garnish
Pear Martini Recipe
Another recipe I began to play with after finding the pear Cosmopolitan was the pear martini. This little known cocktail uses the same pear vodka you already bought, but really brings out that pear flavor and texture.
If you love pears like me, this is the recipe for you.
Pear Martini Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 1½ oz pear vodka
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz pear puree (peel and chop a pear, blend in a food processor)
- 1 slice fresh pear for garnish
Pear Martini Instructions
- Fill a shaker with ice cubes.
- Pour all ingredients over the ice in the shaker
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a pear slice or lemon twist
Pear Martini with elderflower Recipe
If you want to switch things up, or you have elderflower liqueur lying around like me (don’t ask; I think someone gave it to me), you can try this pear martini with elderflower.
Pear martini with elderflower ingredients
- 2 ounces pear vodka
- 1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce simple syrup (little less if you like it tart)
- Lemon zest for garnish
- Ice cubes
Pear Elderflower Martini Instructions
- Add everything but the garnish into a cocktail shaker with ice
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into a chilled martini glass
- Garnish with a juicy pear slice
Please drink responsibly and NEVER drink and drive.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Pear Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe
Travel to Jasper National Park to find the perfect Pear Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe that we tweaked to make even better at home. Combining flavored vodka, cranberry, citrus and everything you love about those juicy pears into one beautiful martini style drink.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Absolut pear vodka
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice (add 1/4oz if you like it tart, but you will lose some of the pear)
- 3/4 oz simple syrup
- 1/2 oz Contreau
- 1 oz white cranberry Juice
- 3 fresh cranberries or a slice of pear for garnish
Instructions
- Pour all liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice
- Shake
- Strain into a chilled martini glass (we love these!)
- Place three cranberries in your Pear Cosmopolitan as garnish
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 19gSugar: 49gProtein: 2g
How to make a Pear Martini
A Pear Martini cocktail uses the same pear vodka you already bought for your Pear Cosmo, but really brings out that pear flavor and texture thanks to a bit of added puree.
Ingredients
- Ice Cubes
- 1½ oz Pear Vodka
- ¾ oz Simple Syrup
- ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ oz Pear Puree (peel and chop a pair, blend in a food processor)
- 1 Slice Fresh Pear for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a shaker with ice cubes.
- Pour all ingredients over the ice in the shaker
- Shake vigorously
- strain into a chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a pear slice or lemon twist
Notes
If you want to switch things up, or you have elderflower liquor laying around like me (don’t ask. I think someone gave it to me), you can try this pear martini with elderflower.
PEAR MARTINI WITH ELDERFLOWER INGREDIENTS
- 2 ounces pear vodka
- 1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce simple syrup (little less if you like it tart)
- Lemon zest for garnish
- Ice cubes
PEAR ELDERFLOWER MARTINI INSTRUCTIONS
- Add everything but the garnish into a cocktail shaker with ice
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into a chilled martini glass
- Garnish with juicy pear slice
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
oneAmount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 7gSugar: 33gProtein: 1g
All nutritional information is estimated.
