It’s nearly the weekend!  Woohoo!  And if you live in the United States, it also most likely means a nice long holiday weekend for you.  You’ll need some cocktail recipes up your sleeve for the long weekend, don’t you think?  Sure, cold beer is nice, but nothing is better than an well crafted cocktail, in my opinion.

Last night we went out for drinks to celebrate birthdays with our neighbors.  We call each other “Framily” because we are family in many ways.  We have kids around the same age, we help each other out, and we love to spend time together.  Three of us have birthdays around this time, so typically we celebrate together.  I like to say I am halfway to 84.  Makes me laugh every time. I’m so funny melancholy.

Last night we walked to one of our favorite restaurants that features great cocktails.  My friend Catherine and I both ordered a French Pear. This one had a bit of a twist in that it also featured ginger. Catherine thought the drink tasted like “a Jolly Rancher in a glass”.  I love a sweet martini and had the urge to gulp it down, but now that I’m halfway to 84 I decided to behave like a grown up and sipped it instead.

I do agree with Catherine that it could have been a bit less sweet, and in doing that it would probably taste a bit brighter.  The ginger could have been more prominent, too.  A bit of a spicy bite from  more ginger would have offset the sweetness.

Overall I give it a 7/10.  We followed the French Pear with a good, solid dirty gin martini.

If you want to try the French Pear yourself, here’s how.

FRENCH PEAR MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ounces pear flavored vodka
• 1/2 ounce ginger liqueur
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• Lemon twist, for garnish

METHOD:

1. Place all ingredients except the twist into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously to mix.
2. Strain into martini glass and add a lemon twist garnish.

Have a great weekend!  Keep it safe!

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