Vanilla Honey Pear Martini
This elegant martini shakes together vodka, elderflower liqueur, pear nectar, and a homemade thyme-honey syrup with a few drops of vanilla and orange bitters for a cocktail that’s floral, fruity, and warmly spiced all at once. Served chilled with a thyme sprig and a thin pear slice, it’s the kind of drink that feels like fall in a glass!
Equipment
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Jigger
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
For the Martini:
- 3 oz vodka, pear vodka or plain
- 1 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur
- 2 oz pear nectar or pear juice
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz thyme-honey syrup, recipe below
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- A few drops of vanilla extract
- Ice
- Fresh thyme sprigs and thin pear slices, for garnish
For the Thyme-Honey Syrup:
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup water
- 4 –6 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- To make the thyme-honey syrup, combine the honey, water, and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until the honey dissolves but don’t boil. Remove from heat, let steep for 10 minutes, then strain and cool completely.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, elderflower liqueur, pear nectar, lemon juice, thyme-honey syrup, orange bitters, and a few drops of vanilla extract. Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until well chilled and slightly frothy.
- Strain into two chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig and a thin pear slice. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t boil the thyme-honey syrup. Gentle heat preserves the delicate herbal flavor of the thyme, and boiling will make the honey taste flat and one-note.
- Let the syrup steep the full 10 minutes so the thyme flavor infuses deeply. Rushing it gives you honey water, not thyme-honey syrup.
- Chill the glasses in the freezer for at least 5 minutes before pouring so the cocktail stays crisp and cold from the first sip to the last.
- The syrup recipe makes more than you need for two drinks. Store the extra in the fridge for up to two weeks and use it for repeat rounds or drizzled over yogurt and oatmeal.
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