Cocktail Hour: Seattle Southside
A delicious, not-too-sweet combination of Mathilde Poire, Gin & Lemon
This summer, while ordering supplies for my Luxardo/Friday Zoom happy hour routine, I made a couple of random purchases I am just getting to crack open now. Mathilde Poire, a delicate pear liqueur in a petite bottle with a charming, vintage-look label was one that was hard to resist.
I love pears in fall and winter and particularly like desserts with pears (poached pears Belle-Helene - with chocolate and whipped cream, pears in tarts, baked in cakes, stuffed with marzipan and baked… heck, I even love pear flavored Jelly Belly jelly beans!).
As a side note, to go with the raison d’etre of the site - my love of Normandy, in the lush orchards of Normandy, not only do deliciously sweet apples grow in abundance, but so do pears! There is many a beautiful orchard to visit when there, but for now, we can simply enjoy the flavors.
In my search for ideas for how to enjoy this intriguing pear libation without a carbonated mixer, I headed to the Maison Ferrand website. What a pleasure to find that of the only recipes noted for this particular ‘flavor’ of their liqueurs, this simple gem was there - a Seattle Southside. It’s a delightful take on a fruited, yet not sweet, martini.
2 oz. Mathilde Poire
2 oz. Gin (they suggest Citadelle gin - which is the brand I happen to have on hand)
1 oz. Fresh lemon juice
Add all ingredients into a shaker (or an empty jam jar) with ice and shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
The pear liquor is so nice in this coctail. That fresh and fruited but not sweet flavor that I mentioned really is a nice change. The next Mathilde cocktail recipe I will try is a Maraschino Soda - a concoction posted in 2010 on the Twighlight Lounge blog. Mathilde Pear with the Luxardo I’ve been favoring all summer… it sounds too good not to try! What are your favorite cocktails? Favorite liquors? I’d love to hear!
