Pear and Bourbon Ginger Snap

The other day I was poaching pears in a ginger syrup for a cheese course dish and the aroma was intoxicating. Even the next morning, my kitchen still a light ginger fragrance and the leftover pears on my counter were ripe and aromatic. I just had to do something more with all that!

I had reduced the ginger poaching liquid and stowed it in the fridge. It's such a lovely addition to beverages or cakes. And, of course, when I say beverages I definitely include cocktails. The warmth of the spicy ginger goes well with the warmth of bourbon and a few ice cubes helped with the strength. I think I should keep ginger syrup around all the time. Cheers!

Per Serving:
1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1 1/2 oz. Pear Juice
1 oz. Ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
1/2 oz. Lemon juice

Ginger Syrup:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
2 Hands fresh ginger, sliced
Tiny pinch of salt

To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water, sliced ginger and salt in a pot on medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the heat. Let the pot sit, off the heat, for a couple of hours or until completely cool. Strain, pour into a bottle and keep in the fridge.

To make the cocktail, combine the bourbon, pear juice, ginger syrup and lemon juice in a glass. Fill with ice cubes and stir.

Check out the recipe for pears poached in the ginger syrup: