Roasted Pear and Rosemary French 75

I worked on an event for a non-profit this month and it included a drink mixing class and this is one of the drinks we learned to make. It was, without a doubt, the best drink that I have ever had anywhere, bar none. I’m going to make them for Thanksgiving and we are going to need a BUNCH of cocktail glasses so I went to my local thrift store and found them for $.35/glass.

To get started, you have to make your pear infused gin.

I started with these cute little pears.

I peeled them and put them in a casserole dish.

I roasted them for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

I got my gin out. (I was waiting at the door of the liquor store when they opened it. A super proud moment.)

I divided it equally between two 1/2 gallon jars.

I split the roasted pears between the two jars.

These will have to stay in the refrigerator for about a week. I will remove the pears and strain the gin into the bottle.

Rosemary simple syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 sprigs of rosemary–leaves removed from stems

Boil the water and stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Pour into jar and add rosemary leaves. Store in the refrigerator for 2 days and strain the leaves from the syrup and return to jar. Syrup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week.

French 75

1 oz roasted pear infused gin

1/2 oz. rosemary syrup

1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 oz sparkling wine

lemon peel

Add ice to a shaking tin and pour the juice, syrup, and gin into it and shake until the shaker is so cold that you can’t stand to hold it any more. Strain into cocktail glass and top with sparkling wine. Express lemon peel into glass and drop it into the drink. Enjoy!!