DIY Pear Liqueur Recipe (2024)

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The answer to "Should I make my own pear liqueur?" is YES!

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Marcia Simmons

Marcia Simmons

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Updated December 13, 2022

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DIY Pear Liqueur Recipe (1)

Why It Works

  • Homemade pear liqueur made with brandy gives you the sweetness of a fruit liqueur and the dryness of brandy in one ingredient.
  • It's easy, cheap, and better-tasting than the store-bought stuff.
  • The strained fruit used to make this liqueur is great in desserts or on ice cream.
  • Any pears will work in this recipe.

I am obsessed with Champagne co*cktails. So when I hit upon a DIY ingredient that pairs well with sparkling wine, it's time for me to buy bubbly by the case. One Thanksgiving, I happened upon a delicious fizzy co*cktail made with sparkling wine, fresh pear syrup, and gin, which launched a new sub-obsession—finding ways to combine pears and Champagne.

So far, my favorite is a homemade pear liqueur made with brandy, because you get the sweetness of a fruit liqueur and a little dryness and rich flavor from brandy bundled into one ingredient. During the winter, many of the more showy fruits are out of season, but you can still find decent pears. (You have to love a fruit that goes equally well with stinky cheese and pork chops as it does with Champagne and brandy.)

What's Available to Buy

Though pear liqueur isn't something you'd find in every corner liquor store, places like BevMo tend to stock it. Pear brandy is a liquor distilled from pears, and is sometimes called eau de vie de poire. These are the ones you'll see with the little pear in the bottle, and there's no sugar added. Pear liqueur, on the other hand, is a spirit plus sugar and pear flavoring. The spirit can be brandy or a liquor made from pears. Liqueurs made with a pear eau de vie as the base tend to be brighter and fruitier, while the brandy-based versions have deeper undertones.

Two of the standout liqueurs made with a pear-spirit base are Rothman & Winter's Orchard Pear and Mathilde Pear. Both are lovely and delicate with a strong flavor of fresh pears. Xante and Brillet pear liqueurs are made with a Cognac base. While the pear flavors are strong, the spirit also comes through and makes it about more than just a fruity beverage.

Why DIY?

Making your own pear eau de vie is an ambitious task, but making pear liqueur with another spirit as the base hits the "Yes, Make It Yourself!" trifecta: It's easy, cheap, and better-tasting than the store-bought stuff. My favorite is a brandy base, but you could also try it with whiskey or vodka. Pears are a flexible ingredient, so if you wanted to try a different second flavor in place of vanilla, you could go with cinnamon, ginger, orange, or almond instead.

Use It!

This liqueur is a natural with Champagne—with or without a little lemon. For a stronger Champagne co*cktail, you could splash in a little brandy, too. Speaking of bubbles, I like to add this pear liqueur to club soda for a lower-alcohol co*cktail refresher. We're also big fans ofthis pear and tequila co*cktail recipefrom Gramercy Tavern in NY.

If you're feeling creative, use your homemade pear liqueur in place of triple sec in aSidecar. Using the Mr. Potato Head method, you could easily swap this in for triple sec in other classics. What other co*cktails do you think need a little pear?

February 2012

Recipe Details

DIY Pear Liqueur Recipe

Prep10 mins

Cook15 mins

Active10 mins

Total168 hrs 25 mins

Serves18 servings

Makes2 1/4 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe pears, divided (organic preferred)

  • 1 vanilla bean

  • 1 cup brandy

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup water

Directions

  1. Wash and chop one pear, discarding seeds and core. Leave the skin on. Split and scrape vanilla bean.

  2. Place pear and vanilla bean in a sealable glass jar and cover with brandy. The jar should have enough room to add another cup of liquid later in the process. Seal and shake, then let steep for 2 days. Remove vanilla bean, and then let steep for another 3 days.

  3. Chop the second pear, discarding seeds and core. Add it to a pot, along with water and sugar, then stir and bring to a boil on medium heat, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Let syrup mixture cool.

  4. Once cooled, pour the syrup (with the fruit) into the steeping jar. Shake and let steep for 2 days. Taste, and if desired flavor is achieved, strain through a fine-mesh strainer and then a coffee filter into a bottle or jar.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, coffee filter, paring knife

Notes

You can substitute another spirit for brandy or replace the vanilla with another spice like ginger or a cinnamon stick. Vanilla releases its flavor a lot more quickly than pears do. This is also true of other strong ingredients like ginger and cinnamon. So be sure to taste your liqueur as it infuses to see when you need to remove your secondary flavoring ingredient.

Straining through the coffee filter is recommended because it catches small, hard-to-see bits of pear that, when left in the liqueur, cause it to develop off flavors more quickly. I recommend keeping it no longer than two months. Refrigeration is not needed.

  • Pear
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
67Calories
0g Fat
11g Carbs
0g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories67
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 11g4%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 1mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 3mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

DIY Pear Liqueur Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is pear liqueur made of? ›

First up: The fascinating Mathilde Poire Liqueur. It's made simply from Bartlett pears that are pressed for juice, fermented, and distilled in pot stills. A touch of quince (a pear-esque fruit) is added to the distillate to enhance the pear flavor.

Can you make pear brandy at home? ›

Place pear and vanilla bean in a sealable glass jar and cover with brandy. The jar should have enough room to add another cup of liquid later in the process. Seal and shake, then let steep for 2 days. Remove vanilla bean, and then let steep for another 3 days.

What is a good substitute for pear liqueur? ›

If you can't get the spiced pear liqueur, you could use a good-quality triple sec, orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or another good fruit-based liqueur. Allspice Dram (homemade or store-bought) is another possible liqueur to use, which has spicy notes.

How to make fruit infused liquor? ›

Cover the fruit with vodka: Pour the vodka over the fruit. Use enough to completely cover the fruit and fill the jar, about 2 to 3 cups in a 1-quart jar. Seal the jar tightly and put it somewhere out of direct sunlight. Infuse for 3 to 5 days: Shake the jar of fruit and vodka daily.

Can pears become alcoholic? ›

The earliest known reference to fermented alcoholic drinks being made from pears is found in Pliny. Perry making seems to have become well established in what is today France following the collapse of the Roman empire; references to perry making in England do not appear before the Norman conquest.

What alcohol is made from pears? ›

A light and fruity sparkling alcoholic drink similar to cider but made with pears rather than apples. Waitrose Vintage English Perry (500ml) is made in rural Herefordshire from specially selected English Perry pears, grown in this region since Norman times.

What is French pear brandy called? ›

Poire Williams Prisoner Eau De Vie - Pear Brandy Infused With Real Pear - 40% ABV - A Premium French Delight for the Senses : Amazon.co.uk: Grocery.

What ABV is pear brandy? ›

Europeans traditionally sip unaged fruit brandy as a digestif, and we're all for that, but at 40% alcohol with no residual sugar, our wildly aromatic Pear Brandy is stunning in co*cktails.

What is Williams pear liqueur? ›

Poire Williams is the name for eau de vie (colorless, unsweetened fruit brandy) made from the Williams pear (also known as Williams' bon chrétien and as the Bartlett pear in the United States, Canada and Australia) in France and Switzerland. It is generally served chilled as an after-dinner drink.

How long does pear liqueur last? ›

Unopened, pear liqueur (schnapps) has a long shelf life, often retaining its quality for years. After opening, its freshness can be maintained for several months to a year, though it's best consumed within a few months for optimal taste.

What can I use instead of liqueur? ›

For tiramisu you can just make up the lost liquid with extra coffee and if you are making something like a trifle, then try sprinkling a similarly flavoured fruit juice over the sponge base instead - for example for orange liqueurs use orange juice, for kirsch use cherry juice or syrup from a tin of cherries, for ...

What is the best alcohol to make a liqueur? ›

Most homemade liqueurs start with vodka. This spirit is an ideal base for liqueurs because it's colorless and flavorless, making it the perfect blank canvas. Start by creating some of the most popular liqueur flavors, like coffee, amaretto, and Irish cream — they all rely on vodka for their kick.

What alcohol is best for infusing fruit? ›

A neutral alcohol like vodka is your safest bet when it comes to DIY infused booze because there are no flavors inherent to the spirit that will clash with your fruit.

Can you make your own fruit alcohol? ›

Add the cut fruit to a large glass jar or container with a tight fitting lid. A gallon jar works well. Pour the alcohol over the fruit making sure to cover it completely, close the jar tightly. Place in a cool dark place for 2 to 4 weeks (more time = more fruit flavor), shaking or swirling the jar once a week.

What are the ingredients in St George Spiced Pear Liqueur? ›

The ingredient list for our Spiced Pear Liqueur is simple—Bartlett pears, cinnamon, clove, organic cane sugar, and malic acid—but its flavor is anything but basic.

What is the main ingredient of liqueurs? ›

Liqueurs are produced by combining a base spirit, usually brandy, with fruits or herbs and are sweetened by the addition of a sugar syrup composing more than 2 1/2 percent of the total beverage by volume.

What fruit is liqueur made from? ›

These can range from the common, such as raspberries, oranges, and cherries, to the more exotic, like lychees and passionfruit. The chosen fruit is then typically macerated in a base spirit, often a neutral grain alcohol, to extract its flavours and colours.

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