Can you believe New Year’s Eve is almost here? The year flew by, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate with something special. If you enjoyed the holidays, spent time with family, or received a gift that made your day, I’d love to hear about it.
For ringing in the new year I wanted a cocktail that felt festive and seasonal — something with bubbles, warmth and a hint of sweetness. A champagne-based cocktail always says “celebration,” and this Pear Mimosa hits that note perfectly. Pears have been my recent obsession: their subtle sweetness combines beautifully with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, honey and vanilla. Add bubbly champagne and you get a light, refreshing drink that’s elegant and simple.
This Pear Mimosa balances sweet pear syrup with the dry tang of champagne. The pear syrup is infused with warming spices and vanilla, giving each sip depth without overpowering the bubbles. It’s easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time, so when it’s party time all you need to do is combine syrup and champagne and serve.
The syrup is straightforward: roughly chop ripe pears, simmer them with water, honey and spices, then mash and steep. After straining, you’ll have a fragrant pear syrup that keeps in the fridge for several days. To serve, add about 2 ounces (roughly 1/3 of a flute) of pear syrup to each glass and top with chilled champagne. Garnish with thin pear slices if you like.
Besides tasting delicious, this cocktail is great because you can make the pear syrup in advance. Simmer pears with honey, water, a pinch of salt, star anise, whole cloves and one or two cinnamon sticks, then crush the pears and steep for at least 30 minutes. Stir in vanilla, strain through a fine mesh sieve, press the pulp to extract all the liquid, and chill the syrup overnight. When ready to serve, combine the chilled syrup with bubbly champagne.
This year I’ve enjoyed watching this blog grow and becoming more authentic in my writing. Sharing real life alongside recipes has been both intimidating and rewarding. Your comments and encouragement mean a great deal — thank you for reading and supporting the blog.
Enjoy the final days of the year, and if you try this Pear Mimosa, I hope it becomes one of your go-to celebration drinks. Cheers!
Pear Mimosa
Author: Emily Koch
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins (plus steep and chill time)
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Category: Drinks
- Cuisine: Holiday
Description
Pear Mimosa is a festive, easy-to-make cocktail. Sweet pear syrup with warming spices pairs beautifully with dry champagne. The pear syrup can be prepared in advance so you can assemble drinks quickly for guests.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe pears, cored and roughly chopped
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup raw honey (regular honey works too; raw honey helps thicken the syrup)
- 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 star anise (optional)
- 4 whole cloves (optional)
- 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks (use 2 for a stronger cinnamon flavor)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 bottles dry champagne (Brut works well; inexpensive bottles are fine since the syrup adds flavor)
- Pear slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine the chopped pears, honey, filtered water, pinch of sea salt, star anise, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir until the honey dissolves. Use a wooden spoon or a masher to crush the pears. Continue simmering, covered, for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the mixture steep, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Steeping longer increases the intensity of the flavor.
- Stir in the vanilla once steeping is complete.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove spices and pulp. Press the pulp with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
- Chill the pear syrup in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. The syrup can be made a few days ahead. Chill the champagne before serving.
- To serve, pour about 2 ounces of pear syrup (roughly 1/3 of the glass) into each flute and top with chilled champagne. Garnish with thin pear slices if desired.
- The pear syrup keeps for several days refrigerated; the champagne is best served fresh.
Notes
Cook time listed does not include steeping or chilling time for the syrup and champagne. Serving size is an estimate and will vary by glass size and the syrup-to-champagne ratio you prefer.
The pear syrup recipe is adapted from a fruit-infused iced tea method and tailored here for a cocktail syrup.
What about nutrition information? This is a celebratory cocktail — enjoy and celebrate responsibly!