Pear & Blackberry Fizz

I mentioned last week how Berentzen sent me some of their new liqueurs to try out. I was lucky enough to get the apple and the pear. I have had a few pear inspired cocktails, but their pear liqueur tempted me right away. When I first  opened the bottle, the aroma was enticing and I was unable to wait to make a cocktail...I decided to have a taste right away. Oh my gosh, the flavor is perfect. Not too sweet and it pairs well with other flavors with out overwhelming them. 

I am a lover of blackberries and I had some fresh blackberries and blackberry brandy on hand. I wasn't exaclty sure what I wanted to create at first and then remembered that we had ginger ale left over from a friend's visit. And I mean the real stuff, out of a glass bottle and almost spicy. This is what made the cocktail. You are welcome to use whatever ginger ale you want, even canada dry, but the flavor combo won't be as intense.I first just used the pear, blackberry and ginger ale but knew it was missing something. That was when I tried it with a little triple sec and a splash of lime...perfect!

Pear & Blackberry Fizz

1 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur

1/2 oz Blackberry brandy/liqueur

1/2 oz Triple Sec

1/2 tbsp lime juice

4 oz ginger ale

blackberries/pear****Optional for garnish

In an ice filled shaker, combine all ingredients except the ginger ale and shake vigorously. Pour into a glass filled with ice and top with the ginger ale. 

I made a garnish using a skewer with blackberries and pear bites. The second time I made this, I soaked the blackberries in a half a cup of the pear liqueur over night. I used the blackberry infused pear liqueur to make this drink and used the blackberries as the garnish. I think I prefer the second version, but I doubt you'd find me turning either one of them down.

I was supplied the Berentzen pear, but all opinions are my own.

Apple Guava 'Rita

I went round and round as to what I would create using the Berentzen apple liqueur. I have made plenty of apple flavored drinks, but I wanted to stumble off the usual path and opt for a slightly different taste. A few weeks ago I  made wassail and had a few cans of guava nectar left over in my fridge and the thought came to me to try and see what I could concoct with it. 

I played around with a bourbon recipe and while you may see that one soon enough, tequila actually won out this go round and I decided to create a margarita. This weather has been so bleh and you can't help but feel spring on the horizon, followed quickly by summer, when you drink a margarita!

This was very easy to put together and you can find the cans of guava nectar in your juice aisle or some stores keep them in the international section. On another note, it is amazing in smoothies!

Ingredients
6 oz guava nectar
2 oz tequila
3 oz berentzen apple liqueur
1 tbsp lime juice
salt/sugar for rim optional

Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Pour into two glasses over ice. 
You could also put all ingredients into a blender and make a frozen version, that was my neighbor's favorite. 

You can also check out my food blog where I used the berentzen apple liqueur to make a cake and frosting. It was so light and perfect for a gathering with friends. 

Next week I will have recipes using the berentzen pear!

I was supplied with the berentzen, but opinions are all my own.