Strawberry, peach, and mango tend to get all of the attention when it comes to fruity cocktails, but pear puree for cocktails makes delicious, refreshing drinks, too! Since pears are typically not as sour or concentrated in flavor as other fruits, the best way to get a nice pear flavor into your cocktail hour is with pear purée or nectars.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about pear puree, including where to get it, how to make your own, and a few of our favorite pear cocktail recipes.
Premade Pear Purees & Nectars Mixers
Funkin William Pear Purée
Funkin William Pear Puree is a top puree for cocktails as it is made with real fruit and cane sugar, is vegan, has no artificial colors or preservatives, and has a lovely balanced taste. It comes in a 35-ounce BPA-free package that is easy to open and resealable.
Iberia Pear Nectar
Iberia uses a combination of pear pulp and artificial pear flavor to create a concentrated, tasty flavor. There are no preservatives, and the formula is non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free for those with dietary restrictions. It comes in three one-liter cartons with a resealable cap for easy pouring.
Goya Foods Pear Nectars
Goya Foods is well-known for its tropical drinks and high-quality products as a whole. Their pear nectars are no exception. It comes in 9.6-ounce cans, which is the perfect amount for a few drinks during happy hour.
Hero Pear Nectar
Hero uses only the finest pears to create their pear nectars. Their formula is all natural and not from concentrate. They also do not use any artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, which means there is no high fructose corn syrup in this one! Don’t worry. It is still plenty sweet enough to use in all of your favorite cocktails.
Bionaturae Pear
Bionaturae is European-style nectar, which means that it has no added cane sugar or sweeteners. It is only as sweet as the delicious pears picked by hand by farmers in select regions of Italy. As you might imagine, Bionaturae doesn’t use any preservatives, GMOs, or artificial flavors either, and the ingredients are organic.
How To Make Homemade Pear Puree
Puree vs. Nectar
So far, we have talked about both pear puree and nectars, but you might be wondering what the difference is.
The major difference between puree and nectar is consistency. Nectars have the large solids strained out, leaving a slightly thicker consistency than juice, while the entire fruit is left in for purees creating a thicker consistency.
Ingredients
The ingredients in homemade pear puree are pears, of course, and some sort of liquid to thin it out just a bit. Many people just use water, though there are many options.
You can use lemon juice or lime juice to cut a bit of the sweetness and add some acidity, apple cider or juice for a more complex taste or even pear vodka to make a boozy puree to add to cocktails. You could also place pears in a poaching liquid like rum with some agave nectar. We’ll give you a few ideas below, but experimenting with different ingredients is half the fun!
Tools
A food processor or blender is the best tool to get the right consistency, though you could use an immersion blender, mash well by hand, or use a hand mixer as well. You’ll also need a peeler, a storage container of some sort, and a fine mesh sieve if you want to smooth out the mixture.
Process
Now that you have your ingredients and tools, it is time to start the process. Spoiler alert! It’s really quite simple.
Just peel pears, add them to your food processor or blender, add your liquid, and puree until smooth. Then you can strain it a bit to get any big solids out if you wish and pour it into a container.
Storage
When it comes to storing homemade purees, choose an airtight container. We love squirt bottles for easy use, but jars or whatever you have lying around will work just fine. Store your creation in the refrigerator, date it, and use it within one week.
We also have frozen purees in an ice tray to use later!
Pear Puree Recipes
If you are not quite feeling adventurous enough to make up your own pear puree or nectar, these recipes will give you a good head start.
Simple Fresh Pear Pure
from USA Pears
USA Pears come right from Washington and Oregon and make up more than 80% of the fresh pears grown in the United States. They have their own simple, fresh pear puree recipe that turns out great every time.
Pear Puree
from Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart’s pear puree is a bit on the sweeter side but makes for an excellent cocktail addition as the fruit gets cooked down until soft, then allowed to cool before pureeing, creating a bit of caramelization and a richer taste. This one uses Anjou pears, a sweetener, plus a bit of pear brandy. Trust us. It’s worth the extra work!
Fresh Nectar from Pears
from Christina’s Cucina
Christina’s Cucina makes its nectar by combining ripe pears with a few ice cubes in a food processor. Though they recommend drinking it as a smoothie since it is already chilled, this is great for cocktails, too.
Homemade Pear Nectars
Now, if your desired consistency is on the thinner side, this homemade nectar from Eastern European Cuisine is the one for you. This version combines techniques from both Martha Stewart’s recipe and the USA Pears recipe.
The best part? They tell you how to store your nectar for long-term storage!
Cocktails To Try With Pear Puree or Nectar
Now you know all about how to get pear puree or nectar for cocktails, so let’s talk about a few recipes to try.
Pear and Pomegranate Champagne Shrub
from The Spruce Eats
The Pear & Pomegranate Champagne Shrub from The Spruce Eats is one of those drinks that are excellent any time of the year. It consists of pomegranate juice, a pear and ginger shrub, and champagne or sparkling wine.
What is a shrub, you ask? A shrub is equal parts sweetener and vinegar mixed with fruit or flavorings. In this case, they use pear and ginger, though vanilla, apples, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg are popular shrub additions, too.
First, make your shrub according to their instructions, then combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and pour into a champagne flute or coupe glass. Heads up– the shrub takes two days, so plan ahead!
Pear Collins Cocktail
from Lively Table
A traditional Tom Collins cocktail has lemon juice, gin, simple syrup, and club soda, though this Pear Collins Cocktail from Lively Table switches it up a bit to make it a perfect drink for fall. To make it, you’ll use pear puree, gin, club soda, and fresh thyme to garnish. However, you can also use soda water instead of club soda and garnish with a pear slice, depending on what you have on hand.
Lively Table uses pears, honey, and lemon juice to make its pear puree recipe, though store-bought or your own chosen recipe will work, too. Serve this one in a highball glass filled with ice. It is sure to be one of your new favorite fall cocktails.
Conference Call
from Absolut Drinks
Absolut Vodka has a pear vodka, though their Conference Call cocktail recipe uses Absolut Elyx, their luxury vodka that they call liquid silk. Absolut Elyx gets combined with pear puree, lime juice, elderflower liqueur, and ginger beer for a complex and refreshing cocktail. You can also substitute Williams Pear Liqueur for the elderflower liqueur if floral notes aren’t your taste.
Serve in a copper mug or rocks glass with crushed ice and a pear slice garnish for a nice finishing touch. Despite its name, we definitely don’t recommend having one of these before or during a conference call!
FAQs
How do you puree fruit for cocktails?
To puree fruit for beverages, simply peel your fruit and blend it with water, lemon juice, or lime juice until your desired thickness. For extra smooth purees, strain the blended fruits through a fine mesh sieve.
What is pear puree concentrate made of?
Pear puree concentrate is made of blended pears that have been concentrated by removing some of the excess water.
Should I peel the pear for puree?
You do not have to peel pear for puree, though peeling your pears makes the puree have a smoother consistency.
What is puree for cocktails?
Puree for cocktails is a blended fruit mixture that adds sweetness and fruity flavor to cocktails.
Can I use pear baby food for cocktails?
Yes, you can use pear baby food from the children’s department for a cocktail. Just ensure that there are no other added fruits or vegetables. Baby food also tends to have fewer sugars, so you may need to add simple syrup, depending on your preference.
Key Takeaways
- Pear puree may seem like an unusual mixer, but it makes for a delicious cocktail.
- Pear puree or nectar can both work in your cocktail – there’s just a slight texture difference
- .Pear cocktails are a great way to switch up your usual fruity drinks, no matter your spirit of choice.
- Buy a premade pear puree, or easily make your own
- There is a perfect pear cocktail for you since it pairs so well with both dark and light spirits.
