Easy Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe - Larder Love (2024)

Recipe

I love making homemade hooch. This pear liqueur is one of my favourites. It packs a punch in the flavour department but is silky smooth, rich and luxurious. And a great sipper on long winter evenings. Need I say more?

Easy Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe - Larder Love (1)

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Pear liqueur isn’t one you can readily buy in the supermarket and if you can find it then it is pretty damn pricy!
  • Making homemade liqueurs is fun and easy without even any actual cooking involved.
  • Pear liqueur makes a wonderful gift, especially at Christmas. So when pears are abundant either in the garden or supermarket get making pear liqueur!

I love making homemade liqueurs and infusions and have an entire section of Homemade Liqueurs here on Larder Love for you to take a look at if you want to get even more crafty in the kitchen.

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Making pear liqueur couldn’t be easier, it is just a matter of bringing together a few simple ingredients and letting good old Mother Nature do the work.

How long does this liqueur take to make?

This liqueur takes a total of 2 weeks to mature so now is the time to get started if you want to present it as a gorgeous gift at Christmas time.

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Ingredients for pear liqueur

Pear – Yes just one pear for this pear liqueur recipe. I have used a large pear of the William variety, though any type of pear will do really. They all have their own flavour. Make sure that your pear is ripe and juicy and unblemished.

Spices – You want some kick of spice in your pear liqueur so I add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Orange – I use 2 strips of dried orange peel for extra flavour.

Sugar – go for plain caster sugar in your pear liqueur. If you use brown sugar you would get a more caramel like flavour which might overpower the pear.

Vodka – just buy supermarket type vodka here, step away from the Stolly!

The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to make dried orange peel

To make the dried orange peel simply use a potato peeler to peel strips of skin off an unwaxed (or well scrubbed and rinsed orange) making sure you just take the skin and not the bitter white pith.

Leave this on a radiator or in an airing cupboard overnight, or warm in a very low oven till completely dried. This intensifies that wonderful orange flavour)

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How to make pear liqueur

Pierce the pear all over with a skewer to allow the booze to penetrate the flesh and then allow all that lovely pear juice and flavour to come out.

Put your well-pierced pear into a sterilised jar that it fits into quite snugly and will allow you to add the vodka, orange peel and spices.

Pop on the lid and set this jar on a windowsill for 1 week. It looks quite pretty really, so is no great hardship to have it around.

After a week simply add the sugar to the jar and shake it well as this helps to dissolve the sugar. Now pop the jar in a cupboard for another week and shake it every day to make sure that all the sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove the pear, spices and used orange peel and strain your pear liqueur through a double layer of muslin or kitchen paper (or use a coffee filter).

You may have to do this twice to get a really clear and golden pear liqueur.

Finally, decant your pear liqueur into a sterilised bottle and you are done.

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How long will this liqueur last?

Your homemade pear liqueur will keep for up to a year in a cool dark cupboard.

How to serve your pear liqueur

Pear liqueur is wonderful to serve really chilled after a meal or used as part of a martini at cocktail hour.

You can also drip a little over really good ice cream. Perhaps on the side of my Pear Pie. Now that would make a wonderful wintertime dessert.

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It makes a great foodie gift too, so make some for Christmas hampers and get ahead with your festive preparations. Have you seen my eBooks packed with foodie gift ideas?

Gourmet Gifts For Christmas

Naughty & Nice Foodie Gifts For Christmas

So Easy Christmas

Cheers!

This recipe makes a great foodie gift, so why not check out my post on how to make Christmas hampers.

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Looking for more super tasty pear recipes to try? Then check these out before you go;

Sweet and sour pickled pears

Pear jam with pepper and lemon (refined sugar free)

Stilton pear and walnut blue cheese dip

Spiced pear and chocolate jam

Easy pear pie (pear tart tatin)

Looking for more homemade liqueurs to try? Then check out my section.

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.

Easy Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe - Larder Love (8)

Pear Liqueur

Karon Grieve

A delightfully fragrant pear liqueur perfect for sipping and cocktails too

4.36 from 48 votes

Print Recipe Comment Bookmark Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course liqueurs

Cuisine British

Servings 15 servings

Calories 125 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 large pear the William variety is perfect for this, though any will do really
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 nutmeg broken into small pieces
  • 2 strips of dried orange peel
  • 6 cloves
  • 500 ml vodka
  • 150 g caster sugar

MetricUS Customary

Instructions

  • Make sure you have a ripe yet unblemished pear and rinse and pat dry

  • Pierce the pear all over with a fine skewer

  • Place the pear in a sterilised glass jar that it fits quite snugly and will allow your 500ml vodka

  • Add the spices and orange peel

  • (to make the dried orange peel simply use a potato peeler to peel strips of skin off an unwaxed (or well scrubbed and rinsed orange) making sure you just take the skin and not the bitter white pith. Leave this on a radiator or in an airing cupboard overnight, or warm in a very low oven till completely dried. This intensifies that wonderful orange flavour)

  • Fill jar with vodka and pop on the lid

  • Set on a sunny windowsill for 1 week. It looks rather pretty so is no hardship to have around!

  • After a week open the jar and add the sugar

  • Shake well and set aside in a cool dark cupboard for a further week making sure you give it a shake every day or so to get that sugar to completely dissolve

  • Remove pear and spices from the jar and strain the contents through a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin (or use a coffee filter), I like to do this part twice to get a really clear liqueur.

  • Decant the liquid into a sterilised bottle and enjoy

Notes

Calorie value is taken at 15 shots from 500ml bottle.

Serving suggestions

Serve this either chilled or at room temperature. It is great poured over ice-cream. Use as part of a cocktail

This will keep for up to a year in a cool dark cupboard

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg

My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!

Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

Easy Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe - Larder Love (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pear brandy and pear liqueur? ›

Pear brandy is a liquor distilled from pears, and is sometimes called eau de vie de poire. These are the ones you'll see with the little pear in the bottle, and there's no sugar added. Pear liqueur, on the other hand, is a spirit plus sugar and pear flavoring. The spirit can be brandy or a liquor made from pears.

What is pear liqueur made of? ›

It's made simply from Bartlett pears that are pressed for juice, fermented, and distilled in pot stills. A touch of quince (a pear-esque fruit) is added to the distillate to enhance the pear flavor.

What is a good substitute for pear liqueur? ›

If you can't get the spiced pear liqueur, you could use a good-quality triple sec, orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or another good fruit-based liqueur. Allspice Dram (homemade or store-bought) is another possible liqueur to use, which has spicy notes.

How long does homemade fruit liqueur last? ›

The shelf life of a homemade liqueur depends on several factors. If you have decided to prepare a simple fruit liqueur, you can usually expect that it will last for several months thanks to the alcohol it contains.

Can pears become alcoholic? ›

The earliest known reference to fermented alcoholic drinks being made from pears is found in Pliny. Perry making seems to have become well established in what is today France following the collapse of the Roman empire; references to perry making in England do not appear before the Norman conquest.

Can you drink pear brandy straight? ›

You can sip a good pear brandy straight from the glass, but since ours wasn't super high-quality, we mixed it with champagne and a tiny splash of cranberry juice for color.

What are the main ingredients in liqueurs? ›

Liqueurs are produced by combining a base spirit, usually brandy, with fruits or herbs and are sweetened by the addition of a sugar syrup composing more than 2 1/2 percent of the total beverage by volume.

What is Williams pear liqueur? ›

Poire Williams is the name for eau de vie (colorless, unsweetened fruit brandy) made from the Williams pear (also known as Williams' bon chrétien and as the Bartlett pear in the United States, Canada and Australia) in France and Switzerland. It is generally served chilled as an after-dinner drink.

What are the ingredients in St George Spiced Pear Liqueur? ›

The ingredient list for our Spiced Pear Liqueur is simple—Bartlett pears, cinnamon, clove, organic cane sugar, and malic acid—but its flavor is anything but basic.

How long does pear liqueur last? ›

Most opened (and well-sealed) liqueurs should last six months to a year (or even longer), depending on the alcohol content and preservatives. Once you notice sugar crystallizing on the bottom, discoloration, curdling, or other changes, throw the bottle away.

What French liquor is made from pears? ›

Liqueur de Poire et Cognac

The intense fruitiness of Williams pears with the delicate complexity of Cognac. No additives (caramel or added flavours) or neutral alcohol are used.

Can I drink 10 year old baileys? ›

Does Bailey's Irish Cream go bad or expire? Generally as long as you don't subject it to temperature extremes it will last well beyond the official 2 year "best taste before" date. Over time the taste will change and the liquid tends to go a bit darker but only really noticeable if you do a side by side comparison.

What alcohol gets better with age in a bottle? ›

The spirits that are often aged as part of their production processes are whisky and brandy, as this is crucial to the creation of these spirits; however, rum and tequila are also popular choices to be aged. The casks or barrels that are used to age the alcohol are typically made of oak.

Is brandy and liqueur the same thing? ›

Liqueur is actually a type of spirit or liquor, which itself is a grain-based, distilled alcoholic beverage. A liqueur is a distilled spirit like vodka or brandy that is sweetened with sugar or syrup, and oftentimes it also contains flavoring agents such as fruit, herbs, and oils.

What is pear brandy? ›

St. George Pear Brandy is made from the most aromatic dry-farmed, organic Bartlett pears we can find—and we pack about 30 pounds of fruit into every 750ml bottle. Dry farming concentrates the flavor of the pears, and we use the whole fruit to ensure that we capture everything we love about these pears.

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