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Health & Fitness

Time For A Visit To The Pear Patch

Pear-ing a local festival with a tasty cocktail... and Patch!

Pears are the Rodney Dangerfields of the fruit world – They don’t get no respect.  An apple a day will keep the doctor away and then you can still demonstrate disparity by comparing them to oranges.  A very nice person is referred to as a “peach.”  And, even grapes are allowed to emote when they’re sour or full of wrath.  But, the humble pear gets nothing.  There is, of course, one happy day in the sunny hamlet of Moraga when the pear gets its due and I am able to stuff myself with those glorious pear pies.

So, I’m celebrating the pear the way I celebrate most things – with a cocktail.  I’m also giving a nod to my man JD, to whom I’ve promised a Patch-related cocktail.

If you stroll through your local booze barn, you’re sure to find several brands of spirits (mostly vodkas) that are infused with pear.  I encourage the exploration of those flavors, but I’ve never been quite satisfied by them.  There are some craft distilleries (like Alameda’s Hangar One) that actually use whole ingredients rather than flavorings to bring out full, complex flavors.  They don’t have a pear infusion, but their Mandarin Orange Blossom rocks.  With those few bright exceptions, I find most infused spirits harsh and monotone.

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The solution is the use of whole fruit when making a cocktail, which some may have tried with my Sex on the Peach recipe.  The method takes a bit of extra time and hassle, but it brings out a depth of flavor that is hard to find in infused spirits.  It’s also a lot of fun when there’s a festival in town.

                                                       Pear Patch

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                                                      Ingredients

                             * ½ Fresh, Whole Pear  * 1 oz. Gin  * 3 oz. Tonic

This is a whole fruit take on the tried-and-true Gin and Tonic.  However, because pear is a very subtle flavor it uses about half of the usual amount of tonic.  It also works well with soda water for those who don’t care for the quinine tang of tonic.  If you do use soda, add a splash of lime juice to brighten it up.

First peel and chop the pear into small pieces.  Drop the pear into an Old Fashion or any 6-8 oz. glass and mash it.  A spoon is probably your best tool for the mashing as you want to go well beyond muddling and actually make a chunky pear sauce in the bottom of the glass.  Add a couple of ice cubes and pour in the Gin and Tonic.  Stir until the glass is frosty then garnish with a pear slice.

If you’re looking for some more fun cocktail-related videos, check out the 30-Second Bartender channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/30secondbartender.  And, don’t forget to give me a “like” on Facebook.  More recipes are available at www.30-SecondBartender.com!

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