Sparkling Pear and Rosemary Punch
SOURCE: Tom Macy Cocktails
The key to pulling this off is pear brandy (aka Poire Williams, aka Pear eau de vie), which is made from 100% distilled pear and unaged. This won’t be available at every liquor store, but the nicer ones should have it. A good pear brandy is shockingly evocative of fresh pear, like eating an actual pear, you can almost taste the grittiness of the skin.
Ingredients (15 Servings)
9 oz pear brandy
9 oz rosemary syrup
6 oz lemon juice
1 750ml bottle Brut champagne or dry sparkling wine
1 cup chilled water - or 2 cups ice
rosemary sprigs and 1 long grapefruit peel for garnish
Directions
In a pitcher or punch bowl, combine pear brandy, rosemary syrup (see below), lemon juice. If serving immediately, stir in ice and let sit for 10-15 minutes. If making ahead, add water and chill in the refrigerator.
If serving in a punch bowl, pour over a large punch ice cube. Add Champagne and briefly stir.
Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and expressed oils from the grapefruit peel. Ladle/pour into glasses over ice, garnish with another rosemary sprig if desired.
Rosemary Syrup
Ingredients
6-8 rosemary sprigs
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar (roughly)
Directions
Mince the rosemary sprigs, don’t worry about taking the needles off the stem.
In a measuring cup, combine the rosemary and boiling water, or bring them to a boil in a pot together and remove from heat.
Let the rosemary steep for 45 minutes to an hour, as if you are making rosemary tea.
Strain out the rosemary and add equal parts sugar to water. It’ll be a little under a cup.
Stir until dissolved. Feel free to heat syrup slightly, either on the stove on in the microwave, speed this last step up.
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