Pear Gin Fizz

An ode to pears — this is about to be your new favorite holiday hosting cocktail. The homemade spiced pear juice is super seasonal yet delightfully unexpected while the cinnamon, maple, vanilla, and rosemary make it smell and taste exactly as the holiday season should. Gin and lemon brighten everything with tartness and botanicals before you top each glass with some bubbles.

I batch this cocktail ahead of time and let the flavors infuse in the fridge for several hours before the guests arrive. With a cute little pear slice garnish, your holiday or Thanksgiving guests will feel so taken care of they might even offer to help with the dishes.

Watch Me Make a Pear Gin Fizz

How to Make a Pear Gin Fizz

1. In a large pitcher or drink dispenser, combine the spiced pear juice, gin, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste (or extract), pear liqueur (if using… I recommend it!), and stir until well incorporated.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks and fresh rosemary sprigs directly to the pitcher, gently pressing the rosemary to release its aromatic oils before adding.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to infuse and the cocktail to chill.
4. Before serving, taste and remove the rosemary if the herbal flavor is pronounced. The cinnamon sticks can remain in the pitcher for presentation.
5. Pour approximately 5 oz of the mixture into each ice-filled glass. Top with 2–3 oz of chilled Prosecco or sparkling water.
6. Garnish with fresh pear slices, cinnamon sticks, or rosemary sprigs.

What is a Gin Fizz?

A classic gin fizz is sort of a mix between a sour (from the frothy egg white) and a spritz (from the Prosecco or club soda). The base recipe is gin + lemon juice + simple syrup + egg white, topped with club soda. My batched pear version skips the egg white because I don’t want to be over there shaking individual cocktails all night. The result is just as lemony and fizzy with rich spiced pear flavor (which makes it even better IMO).

Pear Gin Fizz Ingredients

Spiced Pear Juice

If you buy pear juice from the store, it won’t be holiday-spiced like my homemade recipe. If you don’t make your own Spiced Pear Juice, you could infuse store-bought pear juice with holiday flavors like orange, cardamom, star anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon, or add those ingredients to the pitcher to infuse altogether in the fridge, straining before serving.

Gin

Gin’s botanical flavors are perfect for the holidays. Made from juniper berries, it smells like a Christmas tree. It also happens to go really well with pear and fall spices. Check out my Gin Guide for more info, including the bottles I recommend.

Maple Syrup

Instead of simple syrup, I use maple syrup to enhance the warm, comforting seasonal flavors.

Vanilla

I use vanilla bean paste, but you can also substitute equal amounts of vanilla extract.

Pear Liqueur

To really enhance the pear flavor, I add some Belle De Brillet Pear Liqueur. Combined with Cognac, this pear liqueur doesn’t taste like artificial pear, but is instead warm and fresh. If added, it will add a higher alcohol content to the drink.

Cinnamon

Use fresh, whole cinnamon sticks (not ground cinnamon) for the strongest cinnamon flavor and best overall texture.

Rosemary

Before adding rosemary sprigs to the pitcher, gently slap or press them between your palms to release the oils. You could also make this with sage or thyme instead.

Lemon Juice

If it’s not fresh, we don’t want it!

Bubbles

To put the fizz in Pear Gin Fizz, top each glass with Prosecco or sparkling water or have the guests top their drinks off themselves… you could also use Ginger beer, or tonic!

Tips for Making the Best Pear Gin Fizz

• I highly recommend making your own Spiced Pear Juice because it will add tons of seasonal pear flavor. Think of it as making your own apple cider or mulled wine.
• Make these batched cocktails even more hands off by setting up a drink station with the Pear Gin Fizz pitcher, your favorite festive glassware, a few bottles of Prosecco, and simple garnishes pre-made on cocktail picks.
• Give yourself enough time to let the cocktail infuse in the fridge for several hours before the guests are due to arrive.
• If using the pear liqueur, get a good-quality one so it doesn’t taste overly sweet or artificial.

Why You’ll Love a Pear Gin Fizz

• This is one of those unique Holiday Cocktails that is destined to become your new signature drink.
• The spiced pear and warm seasonal flavors combined with the celebratory bubbles make it the perfect batched cocktail if you’re hosting Thanksgiving.
• It’s amazing how much easier making a batched cocktail is compared to making individual drinks by hand or letting guests make their own. The prep is more than worth it.
• When guests show up to a party with a unique cocktail prepared for them, it immediately makes them feel special and taken care of. You want to be responsible for that feeling, trust me 🙂

Pear Gin Fizz Variations

• Top each glass with Prosecco and a splash of ginger beer or just use all ginger beer instead! The ginger beer adds a little extra sweetness, warming spice, and a subtle ginger kick that pairs beautifully with the spiced pear and rosemary.
• Skip the bubbles and add an egg white for a Pear Gin Sour. It has similar flavors, but different textures.
• Two other Gin Fizz variations I love for the holidays are my Snow Globe Gin Fizz and my Holiday Gin Fizz.
• Make it a mocktail by leaving out the gin and topping with non-alcoholic sparkling wine or sparkling water.