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In the department of Life Skills, I feel it’s important to know at least three cocktail recipes without Google, have one magic trick up your sleeve, and one dirty joke memorized. Think of how many scenarios all of those would be useful in. Parties, staff-wide meetings, doctor appointments, job interviews. I know, it’s A LOT!
The cocktails I have in my precious brainspace are: a dry Beefeater martini with a twist (very cold gin, basically), a negroni (for late summer), and I just forgot how to make Manhattans (fall-winter) in favor of this absurdly easy cocktail I call “tastes like fall, right!?” Because that’s what everyone says when they drink it.
I didn’t invent it or anything—who am I Steve Jobs?—but I did adapt it from the Tito’s vodka website when I was trying to find something to do with this delicious St. George spiced pear liqueur. The recipe is refreshing and cider-y without being hot and stuffed with butter, there are fall spices without actually needing to own spices, and there’s no added sugar syrups so it isn’t straight candy. It’s all in that magic liqueur.
St. George Spirits, which is based in Alameda, California, is a craft distiller that makes all kinds of gins, brandies, rum, and even absinthe. You can find them online, or at big box liqueur stores like Binny's or Spec's. The thing about this pear liqueur is that it's practically a ready-to-party cocktail, just add vodka (or whiskey! or rum!). This isn't like an all-cashmere plane pillow and eye mask set, it has wide ranging uses and possibilities. Normally I would discourage you from buying such specific specialty booze, but once you make this cocktail you’ll actually make it all the time, and two, the packaging is so beautiful even if you have it on your shelf until next winter it’ll class up the joint. It's 100% worth it.
Stop yammering and tell us the recipe.
Okay!
1½ oz. Titos’s vodka (I am from Texas, all other vodkas get seceded from the bar cart)
1½ oz. St. George Spiced Pear liqueur
½ oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice, the real stuff not that plastic lemon business
Put it in a cocktail shaker over ice, shake until you’re SCREAMING because THAT SHIT IS COLD.
Pour into the fanciest cocktail glasses you own. Are you a go-getter? Add a slice of pear for garnish. Wow. Wowwwwwww.