Signature Spritz: the Spiced Pear French 75

I’ve always loved the idea of having a ‘house’ drink to welcome my guests. Something easy to keep the ingredients for on hand, and that could be either a cocktail or non-alcoholic. When I stumbled upon a French 75 variation that included pear, one of my absolute favorite flavors (and part of the Flourish brand!), I knew this was it. If you’ve come over to my house in the last couple years, odds are I’ve served you one of these Spiced Pear 75’s — I hope you’ve enjoyed our house spritz!

They’re so simple to whip up in a pinch (as long as you have the spiced pear syrup made and on hand in the fridge — I make a batch once a month throughout the Fall and Winter). I keep ice cold gin in the freezer and half bottles of champagne in the fridge so I’m always ready to go. Fresh thyme for a simple yet beautiful garnish is also something I usually have on hand, though I’ve used sage or a little star anise before too.

What you’ll need

For the syrup: 4 chopped pears (I like bosc pears), 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise pod, 1 and 1/4 cups sugar, 1 cup of water. Simmer everything together over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Once the syrup cools down to room temperature, strain it into a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or so. If you add a small splash of vodka or gin it will last a lot longer!

For the cocktail: 1 oz gin (I only use Amass Botanics), 1/2 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz spiced pear syrup, champagne (I get the small bottles of Ernest Rapeneau at Trader Joe’s and it’s excellent! With minimal waste too)

For the mocktail: 1 oz pear juice (Knudsen’s), 1/2 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz spiced pear syrup, sparkling water (Perrier is my fave)

How to do it

I love serving my spritzes in a coupe glass, but a stemmed wine glass or champagne flute works too! A mix of glassware can also be fun. Add everything except the champagne/sparkling water to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake to mix the ingredients and chill them. Strain into your glass and top with a few ounces of your bubbles. Garnish with a little sprig of thyme or a star anise pod.