Pear Cider Ornamentini
Pear Cider Ornamentini- A simple and delicious cocktail consisting of hard cider, pear juice, and ginger syrup displayed in a festive vessel for the holidays.
December 27, 2021 by Nicole Collins
Guys…
This is the last week of 2021.
How? Why? When?
Was 2021 everything you thought it would be? Have you already set your goals for 2022?
I think we all still have a long way to go before we can put the terrors of Covid behind us. But, I’m going to do my best to keep charging through and find joy in this new year ahead of us.
On a lighter note, I was not planning on posting today’s recipe on the blog. This was going to be an Instagram only special recipe. (Side note…if you’re not following me on Instagram, what are you waiting for? You get lots of bonus content and behind the scenes action over there, so go ahead and add that to your to do list for 2022!)
But ultimately, I decided that this one was too special not to share everywhere.
So today, we’re making a Pear Cider Ornamentini!
Today’s post is more about the presentation than the actual recipe. But, don’t get me wrong. The recipe is a real winner too! So, we’ll start with that.
This recipe only requires a handful of ingredients. We need a couple bottles of hard cider, some organic pear juice (with no additional sugars added), and a homemade ginger simple syrup. That’s it! To make the simple syrup, it’s as easy as adding some water, sugar, and hunks of fresh ginger to a saucepan; letting it come to a boil, then removing it from the heat to allow the ginger to steep for about a half hour. After that, we’ll strain the syrup into a glass (which means we don’t even need to peel the ginger first since we’re straining it anyway!), then let it chill for a bit. Mix it all together, and voila! A simple, light, refreshing cocktail that’s perfect for celebrating any occasion.
Now of course, you can serve this cocktail in any kind of glass any time of year. But at the end of this holiday season, why not serve it in a festively decorated glass?
To make this an ornamentini, we need a 9 oz martini glass and 3 inch clear ornaments. You could get glass ornaments if you wanted for extra dazzle. But, I used plastic ornaments for these. You can typically find clear baubles that either snap at the sides (not the kind we want) or that you fill from the top. We want the latter. Ornaments are not typically used for food and drink, so it’s not likely that you’ll find ornaments labeled “food safe”. Instead, look for plastic listed as non toxic. That’s your best bet, and I have the ornaments I used linked below in the recipe.
I find it’s easier to fill the ornaments with the liquid using a funnel. But if you have a really steady hand, feel free to freestyle the pour from a measuring glass or something. Ultimately, we want to fill the ornament with about 6 oz of liquid. And, the liquid doesn’t have to be this cocktail. It could be any cocktail you can dream up, really. Or, you could even use juice or soda for kiddos or alcohol free loved ones.
To amp up the presentation even more, we’re going to use some shiny sanding sugar and a little agave syrup to rim the edges of our martini glass. Then, we’ll place our filled ornament right into the glass, add some extra ribbon to the ornament for flare, and our decorative cocktail is complete!
When you’re ready to drink, it’s as easy as popping the top off the ornament, and pouring it right into the glass. Or if things are getting really crazy at your holiday party, enjoy the beverage straight from the ornament!
Alright, everyone! If you recreate the magic of the ornamentini, make sure you tag me on social media so I can see it too!
Enjoy! Please drink responsibly. And, let’s drink!
Pear Cider Ornamentini
Serves: 2 Print
Ingredients:
For the Ginger Simple Syrup:
½ cup water
½ sup granulated sugar
¼ cup ginger, roughly chopped into ½ inch pieces
For the Pear Cider Cocktail:
2 bottles (12 oz) hard apple cider
1 cup organic pear juice (no sweeteners added)
½ cup ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
agave syrup, for rimming the glass
gold sanding sugar, for rimming the glass
Directions:
Make the ginger simple syrup: Add water, sugar, and ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, remove from heat, and allow ginger to steep for 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a glass, and chill.
Make the cocktail: Add hard cider, pear juice, and ½ cup ginger simple syrup to a pitcher. Stir well to combine. Use a funnel to pour about 6 oz of the cocktail in to a 3 inch clear, round ornament. Place the cap back on the ornament.
Dip the rim of a martini glass into a small plate of agave syrup and then into a small plate of sanding sugar to decorate the rim. Gently place the ornament with the cocktail inside the glass. Pour the contents of the cocktail into the martini glass when ready to enjoy.
Recipe notes:
*Please drink responsibly!
*Since we're straining the ginger simple syrup before using it, we don't even need to peel the ginger first. Easy breezy!
*This cocktail is nice and light and refreshing. If you want to up the oomph on it, feel free to mix in 2 shots of apple brandy.
*You can use glass or plastic ornaments to hold this cocktail. Since plastic ornaments are not meant to be used for food, it's not likely you'll find any listed as “food safe”. Instead, I look for plastic labeled “non toxic”. These are the ornaments I used.
*You can fill the ornaments with any of your favorite drink recipes to utilize this fun presentation.
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