Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Stephen Eliot of Connoisseurs' Guide to CA Wine Highly Recommends J Pear Liqueur!



Made from a base of twice-distilled alambic pear eau de vie that was given ten years of aging in 90 gallon French oak barrels then cut with rainwater to 30% alcohol and lightly sweetened, the liqueur is neither so sugary as to be cloying nor as hot as unadulterated eau de vies are wont to be. It is a lovely, carefully crafted, after-the-meal sipper that captures the absolute essence of fresh pears with deft touches of caramel and vanilla adding notes of quiet complexity. It is altogether delicious drunk neat, but its use as a flavoring agent in sauces and mixed drinks strikes me as being limitless. The winery’s website, in fact, offers several cocktail recipes created by winery Executive Chef Mark Caldwell to show off the liqueur, and among them is an intriguing version of eggnog that is now on my list of things to do this holiday season.





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