Full disclosure, this Roasted Pear Martini might just become your go-to celebratory sipper for fall! I've had my favorite fall cocktail on lockdown for almost 3 years now, but this pear and cardamom flavored martini is really something special, and it tastes like it.
I love fall produce of all kinds, you know that. But in my personal opinion, there isn't a big enough buzz made during the fall about pears! I swear that once September hits, everyone jumps right on the apple and pumpkin band wagon and forgets all about the beautiful pears that are at their peak right now.
Make pear sauce to eat for a snack or use in recipes like this roasted pear martini.
Other than eating my weight in fresh D'Anjou and Tosca pears, one of my favorite ways to prepare them is to make a super versatile pear sauce to keep on hand in my fridge.
I use pear sauce for ALL sorts of things! Kids (and adults) will love snacking on bowls of pear sauce just as it is. You can use pear sauce anywhere you would use apple sauce in baking recipes, or you can invite your friends over and mix it up into a fancy Roasted Pear Martini like I do.
While I have enjoyed many a martini out and about, they have always intimidated me a bit when it came to making them at home. I don't know why. I guess it just seemed like they should be harder to make than they actually are. At any rate, once I decided to jump in and create a martini recipe, I knew that I better do a bit of research first. If you are a martini making pro, I feel confident you already know the answer to these questions. But if you are a newbie like me, I figured I'd break it all down for you.
Gin or pear vodka, which one will you choose?
This may be your hardest decision made in the entire martini making process!! My girlfriends and I all agreed that we really like pear vodka in this recipe. It amplifies the flavor of the roasted pear sauce and yields a sweeter martini. Just be careful because the pear vodka makes this martini so easy to sip. You might even question whether there was alcohol in it at all.
My husband, on the other hand, is all about the gin in this martini. The piney flavor of gin pairs really well with the roasted pears and cardamom. However the gin remains very prevalent in the finished drink and creates a cocktail that is a bit more savory. As a result, it lends itself to slower sipping, at least for me.
Now that you've got the liquor sorted out, you need to decide what type of simple syrup works best for you.
How to make cardamom simple syrup with whole cardamom pods.
If you are planning for a girls night in or a holiday feast, you probably have a few days and can afford to make the whole cardamom pod infused simple syrup. This syrup takes 3 days to come to its full flavor, but it is SO worth it! You can really taste the richness of it in the martini.
Whole Cardamom Pod Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup whole green cardamom pods
- 1 cup sugar
Bring the water and cardamom pods to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, transfer to an airtight container and infuse in the refrigerator for 3 days, before straining out the cardamom pods. This syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
How to make cardamom simple syrup with ground cardamom.
If you are hosting an impromptu gathering or you just want to quickly create a few fancy cocktails for tonight's date night in, you can make a great cardamom syrup in less than 10 minutes on the stove using ground cardamom. The flavor won't be nearly as intense as the syrup made with pods, but it is still really delicious!
Fast & Easy Cardamom Simple Syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
Combine water and sugar over low heat until melted together, add cardamom. Allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
If you’ve tried this Roasted Pear Martini Recipe, I would be so grateful if you would rate it. Let me know what you think in the comments below. I just love hearing from you. Your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours!
PrintRoasted Pear Martini
Please note, prep and cook time do not include time needed to make the roasted pear sauce.
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think about this Roasted Pear Martini recipe in the comments below. I just love hearing from you. Your reviews/comments really help other people that visit This Mess is Ours!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
Ingredients
Cardamom Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup whole green cardamom pods
- 1 cup white sugar
Roasted Pear Martini
- 1 ounce roasted pear puree
- 1 ounce gin or pear vodka, depending on personal preference.
- ½ ounce extra dry vermouth
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce cardamom simple syrup
Instructions
Cardamom Simple Syrup **for Quick Cardamom Simple Syrup see recipe notes**
- Bring the water and cardamom pods to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, transfer to an airtight container and infuse in the refrigerator for 3 days, before straining out the cardamom pods. This syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Roasted Pear Martini
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the pear puree, gin or vodka, dry vermouth, lemon juice, and the cardamom syrup. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a brûlée pear (** see recipe notes) if using.
Notes
To make Cardamom Simple Syrup with ground cardamom instead of pods:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Combine water and sugar over low heat until melted together, add cardamom. Allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To make the optional brûlée pear garnish:
- 1 thin slice of fresh pear per martini
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar per pear
If making this garnish, prepare the brûlée pears BEFORE you make the martini in the cocktail shaker. Thinly slice pears on a mandolin and lay flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of each pear and either broil under the broiler until the sugar caramelizes or carefully caramelize with a kitchen torch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 17.9 g
- Sodium: 3.4 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.8 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? It’s easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, or PINTEREST to see cooking demos and peeks into our day to day life.
What are the health benefits of pears?
Pears are chockful of nutrients and vitamins which are known to contribute to the health of the heart and gut, among other benefits. Eating the peel will maximize the nutrition you can get from pears.
Click here for more information about the health benefits of pears.
dana says
Very Cool Idea. I will have to try this one. Would certainly "pear" well with a smoky cheese.
thismess says
Martinis and cheese plates FTW!!!
Abby @ Heart of a Baker says
This looks amazing and OMG you're the cutest!
thismess says
You are the sweetest! Thank you so much, wish we could share one of these!!