Happy New Year: Pear and Ginger Sparkler

 

One last cocktail for 2012, a simple pear and ginger cocktail with the sparkling wine of your choice 0 champagne, cava, prosecco, sparkling grape juice - whatever works for you.  I went with prosecco.  I love champagne, but when I am mixing it with something else, I think cheaper alternatives make sense, and I think a decent prosecco is way better than a cheap champagne - I am a sucker for the good stuff.  I think pear and ginger are a great combination, and perfectly seasonal for a winter cocktail.  The recipe below makes 1 cup of ginger syrup - more than you will need for a few of these cocktails, but it is very versatile and would be great in other cocktails, drizzled in tea of stirred into yogurt.  However you are celebrating, I wish all of you a happy and healthy new year!

 Pear and Ginger Sparkler

Ingredients
1 ounce pear juice or nectar
1/2 ounce ginger syrup (recipe below)
sparkling wine or juice of your choice

Ginger Syrup
1 and 1/2 ounce peeled and sliced ginger
2/3 cups sugar
1 cup water

Directions:

1. To make ginger syrup, combine the ginger, sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Strain into a jar or bottle.
2. To make cocktail pour the pear nectar and ginger syrup into a champagne coupe or flute, top with sparkling wine.