Wild Thistle Kitchen: Spiced Pear and Vanilla Bean Gin Fizz
By • February 4, 2021 0 1076
This spiced pear and vanilla bean gin fizz is such a cozy, flavorful cocktail. It is refreshing and comforting all at once — and so balanced. Sweet from the pear, tart from the lemon, herbaceous from the gin and so fragrant from the vanilla bean and cinnamon. Then top it off with some fizz and sparkle … it’s so much fun! And you can totally turn it into a punch (see below).
If you know me, you know that I adore vanilla bean anything. So I knew I wanted to create a cozy cocktail with it this past Thanksgiving. Another one of my favorite things is pear. I think pear is so under-utilized, especially during the fall, when everyone has gone pumpkin-and-apple crazy. This cocktail is my ode to that most beautiful, elegant fruit. And those vanilla bean speckles … sigh … be still, my heart.
Let’s talk about gin. I spent many years turning my nose up at gin. I thought I hated it. Well, turns out I only hate the bad stuff. Go figure. My hubby and I aren’t big drinkers, but always around the holidays we grab a few special bottles of this and that. We tried a bottle of Barr Hill Gin and my eyes were opened to the world of small-batch, high-quality gin. Since then, I have tried Hendrick’s, Malfy and Empress. I would recommend any or all of them for this cocktail. In the world of liquor, you absolutely get what you pay for and it is worth the splurge.
I used Empress in these spiced pear and vanilla bean gin fizz photos and you can see that hint of a purple haze in the cocktails. So cool!
What you’ll need …
- Pear juice or nectar — try to find a natural, unsweetened one
- Gin — get the good stuff
- Fresh lemon juice
- Cinnamon bitters
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla bean paste
- Prosecco or sparkling wine of your choice
I hope you’ll give this spiced pear and vanilla bean gin fizz a try! Let me know if you do by commenting below — it means so much!
xo — Anita
P.S.: Here are a few of my favorite recipes that share some of the same flavors as this delicious cocktail. Hint, hint — these would all be perfect for date nights at home or Valentine’s Day!
Grapefruit Basil Gin and Tonic
Spiced Pear and Vanilla Bean Gin Fizz
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
4 oz. pear juice
2 oz. high-quality gin
Juice of ½ lemon
2 to 3 dashes cinnamon bitters
Tiny pinch of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Chilled prosecco or sparkling wine of your choice
Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker or a large jar with a tightly fitting lid halfway with ice. Add all ingredients EXCEPT prosecco. Shake until combined and icy. Strain into a glass, top with prosecco and enjoy! Note: To scale this up and make a great punch, simply combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir very well. Place in refrigerator to chill completely and top with prosecco before serving.
Photo by Anita Parris Soule. Courtesy Wild Thistle Kitchen.
