Cocktail & Other Recipes Preparation Style Shaken

Apples & Pears

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

Liquor.com has been serving drinks enthusiasts and industry professionals since 2009. Our writers are some of the most respected in the industry, and our recipes are contributed by bartenders who form a veritable "Who's Who" of the cocktail world.

Learn about Liquor.com's Editorial Process
Updated 11/9/22
Apples & Pears cocktail on a slate-blue surface against a textured red wall

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

When summer transitions into fall, we begin to crave seasonal flavors and turn to ingredients like apples and pears. These fruits are delicious eaten fresh or used in baked goods, particularly when combined with spices like nutmeg. Of course, you don’t need to bake a pie to enjoy such things, especially when a delicious autumnal cocktail is on the menu.

Apples & Pears is an original drink from bartender and brand ambassador Charlotte Voisey. It calls for apple-flavored vodka, pear juice, lime juice, Angostura bitters and hard cider, plus a DIY vanilla-nutmeg syrup that really caps off the seasonal theme.

If you have a juicer at home, go ahead and throw a pear in there. Otherwise, pick up the best bottled version you can find—ideally one without too many additives or preservatives. The hard cider is also up to you, so choose your favorite bottle, being sure to use one made from apples or pears (or both) to stick with the flavor profile.

Put it all together, and you get a cocktail indicative of autumn. Mix one, then adjourn to a porch swing, place a blanket on your lap and enjoy a cool evening outdoors, if that’s what fall looks like where you live. Otherwise, don’t fret: The swing and blanket are optional.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces apple-flavored vodka

  • 1 1/2 ounces pear juice

  • 3/4 ounce vanilla-nutmeg syrup*

  • 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • 5 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Hard cider, to top (approximately 1 ounce)

  • Garnish: apple slice

  • Garnish: nutmeg, freshly grated

Steps

  1. Add the vodka, pear juice, vanilla-nutmeg syrup, lime juice and bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.

  3. Top with the cider.

  4. Garnish with an apple slice and a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.

*Vanilla-nutmeg syrup: Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 6 vanilla beans (cut in half lengthwise) and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved. Let the syrup cool completely and strain into a closed container. Store in the refrigerator.