Cocktail Friday: Asian Pear and Cinnamon Spiced Martini

by Tokyo Terrace on September 5, 2009

Apparently I am on a bit of a martini kick lately! With last week’s Amarula martini and this week’s pear and cinnamon spiced martini I’m getting into a little bit of an obsession. Maybe it is because I love martini glasses. They are so elegant and classy. I could drink water out of them and still feel like a graceful, high flyin’ lady. However, martini glasses do lend themselves to easy spills… So much for the graceful part! Anyway, I still love how pretty drinks look in the delicate glasses.

Actually, when we moved to Tokyo, I was floored because I couldn’t find martini glasses anywhere! I finally found them last May in an upscale shopping area near our apartment. They cost a little more that I intended to pay, but I adore them. It is rewarding to come home on a Friday to a comfy chair, a good book or TV show, and a fun cocktail in hand. Oh so nice.

This particular martini is one of my favorites of all the Cocktail Friday posts. I made a simple syrup using honey, diced Asian pear, cinnamon and ground ginger. After allowing the syrup to simmer then steep to intensify and deepen the flavors, I poured 2 oz into a shaker with 4 oz chilled vodka and some ice. Shake shake shake…pour…sip. Awesomenesss.

In Japan, there are some very interesting and wonderful fruits in season right now. Figs are beautiful, white peaches smell so sweet, and Asian pears are a staple in every produce department. This week I went to the store and stocked up on these delicacies. After making fig jam, and a salad topped with the peaches, I decided something creative had to be done with the pears. Cocktail Friday was the answer!

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The cinnamon gives enough heat to make the cocktail more unique than the ubiquitous Peartini (gag). Peared (ha…get it…peared…instead of paired? Sorry…) with the ground ginger, the cinnamon also helps to balance the crisp freshness of the pear itself. I made enough of the simple syrup to last for a while because I loved the flavors so much.

Non-alcoholic option: Make the simple syrup and pour tonic or soda water into the glass. Stir to dissolve and add ice.

Pear and Cinnamon Spiced Martini

Makes 2 Martinis

For the simple syrup:

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 Asian pear, peeled and diced

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a steady simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, watching carefully and stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Strain the syrup into a small glass bowl and allow to cool.

To assemble the martini:

8 oz. chilled vodka

4 oz. pear and cinnamon simple syrup

ice

In the shaker, combine the simple syrup and vodka. Add ice and shake well. (*note: My rule of thumb that I learned working as a bartender in college is to shake until your hand can’t stand the cold anymore- I know, sounds painful, but it is a good gauge.)

Pour equally into two martini glasses. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and pear skin if desired.

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  • http://wasabiprime.blogspot.com/ Wasabi Prime

    Oh, this drink is graceful like a gentle whisper of fall. Asian pears are so elegant and the flavor is sublime. Incorporating it in a cocktail is genius. I wonder what some of these ingredients would be like incorporated in a mulled wine, when the weather chills out a bit more? Hit up the spice a bit, intensify the simple syrup and pear flavor to play nice with the wine, and just heat and serve with a lovely ginger snap cookie to dip into it as you curl up with a cozy blanket. Oh jeeze, can you just tell how excited I am for cozy blanket weather??

  • http://wasabiprime.blogspot.com Wasabi Prime

    Oh, this drink is graceful like a gentle whisper of fall. Asian pears are so elegant and the flavor is sublime. Incorporating it in a cocktail is genius. I wonder what some of these ingredients would be like incorporated in a mulled wine, when the weather chills out a bit more? Hit up the spice a bit, intensify the simple syrup and pear flavor to play nice with the wine, and just heat and serve with a lovely ginger snap cookie to dip into it as you curl up with a cozy blanket. Oh jeeze, can you just tell how excited I am for cozy blanket weather??

  • http://www.minnesotaimage.com/ Jenn

    This sounds SO good! I’m drinking a cosmo (boring!) right now while reading your blog. I wish I had the ingredients to make this instead.

  • http://www.minnesotaimage.com Jenn

    This sounds SO good! I’m drinking a cosmo (boring!) right now while reading your blog. I wish I had the ingredients to make this instead.

  • http://whilemysautoirgentlysweats.blogspot.com/ John Dryzga

    The cocktail sounds lovely! The photos today are wonderful! Were they taken pre or post cocktail?

  • http://whilemysautoirgentlysweats.blogspot.com/ John Dryzga

    The cocktail sounds lovely! The photos today are wonderful! Were they taken pre or post cocktail?

  • https://chowandchatter.com/ Rebecca

    this is great i love your blog and how cool to live in Tokyo

  • https://chowandchatter.com Rebecca

    this is great i love your blog and how cool to live in Tokyo

  • tokyoterrace

    Rebecca: Thank you so much for the comment! I hope you stop by again!

  • tokyoterrace

    Rebecca: Thank you so much for the comment! I hope you stop by again!

  • tokyoterrace

    John: Thanks! This is definitely worth making! Glad you liked the photos- they were taken pre-cocktail, by the way :)

  • tokyoterrace

    John: Thanks! This is definitely worth making! Glad you liked the photos- they were taken pre-cocktail, by the way :)

  • tokyoterrace

    Jenn: Yay! I can just picture you with a cosmo in hand in your kitchen/living room… So glad you are reading! I wish I was there to make this cocktail for you! Or that you were here…either way :)

  • tokyoterrace

    Jenn: Yay! I can just picture you with a cosmo in hand in your kitchen/living room… So glad you are reading! I wish I was there to make this cocktail for you! Or that you were here…either way :)

  • divinape

    Do they also call those Asian pears as Nashi pears? O-oh, there’s figs again. I hope figs can grow in the Philippines. They look so gorgeous.

  • divinape

    Do they also call those Asian pears as Nashi pears? O-oh, there’s figs again. I hope figs can grow in the Philippines. They look so gorgeous.

  • tokyoterrace

    Divinape: They are Nashi pears! Nice job!!

  • tokyoterrace

    Divinape: They are Nashi pears! Nice job!!

  • http://www.atfirstblushandco.com/blog/food/pear-cinnamon-spiced-martini/ Pear & Cinnamon Spiced Martini | Inside The Lovely

    [...] and cocoa. Even our cocktails reflect the the season and this pear & cinnamon spiced martini by Tokyo Terrace is the perfect cocktail for this season. Trust me this will make you want autumn to linger just a [...]

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