Recipe & photography by:

Spiced Pear Brandy Sidecar
To make the Pear Simple Syrup:
In a 2-qt sauce pan, heat 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 pear cubed, 1/2 tbsp ground ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 pinch ground nutmeg over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the syrup has thickened. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, keeping the pears and discarding the cinnamon sticks, into a heat proof container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Yields roughly ½ a cup of syrup.
For the cocktail:
Ingredients
- Brandy - 3 oz
- Powell & Mahoney Old Ballycastle Ginger - 2 oz
- Pear Simple Syrup* - 1.5 oz
- Lemon Juice - 1 oz
- Cinnamon Sticks - for garnish
Instructions
In a shaker, add the brandy, mixer, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
Add ice to the shaker and shake for roughly 5-7 seconds for the flavors to blend together.
Pour mixture into prepared coupe glasses and garnish with a cinnamon stick and a cube or two of the poached pear from the syrup.
Serve immediately.