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 co*cktail 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.

Easy Homemade Pear Liqueur Recipe - Larder Love (7)

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 co*cktails 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 co*cktail

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.

What alcoholic drink is made from pears? ›

Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally in England, particularly Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, parts of South Wales and France, especially Normandy and Anjou, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

What are the best pear liquors? ›

Pear liqueurs search results
  • Clear Creek Pear Liqueur. Category: Liqueurs / alc. ...
  • Giffard Poire William. Category: Liqueurs / alc. ...
  • Gabriel Boudier Liqueur Poires William. ...
  • Pur Likor Williams Pear. ...
  • Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear. ...
  • Lejay Pear Liqueur. ...
  • Merlet Crème de Poire William. ...
  • Boudier Bernard Loiseau Liqueur de Poires Laurier.

Why does my pear taste like alcohol? ›

When fruit starts to expire, it undergoes a process called fermentation. Fermentation occurs when naturally present yeast or other microorganisms convert sugars in the fruit into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This fermentation process is similar to what happens during the production of alcoholic beverages.

What is pear liqueur called? ›

Pears are awesome, but it's hard to find them when they're ripe.

Can pears become alcoholic? ›

pears. …is also used to produce perry, an alcoholic beverage. Several species, such as the Callery pear (P. calleryana), are grown as ornamentals.

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.

How long does pear liqueur last? ›

Most opened (and well-sealed) liqueurs should last for 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.

Is there a pear liqueur? ›

St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur balances decadence with restraint, achieving incredible depth of flavor with just a few impeccable ingredients.

What is brandy made from pears called? ›

Indulge in the rich and complex flavors of Poire Williams Prisoner Eau De Vie, a French pear brandy liqueur like no other. Made with the finest French pears, carefully selected and distilled to perfection, this fruit liqueur is infused with a whole pear, grown inside the bottle until it reaches its optimum size.

What French liqueur is made from pears? ›

Briottet's Williams Pear Eau de Vie (45% volume) is made using Williams pears from orchards in the south of France which produce very sweet and flavoursome fruit. Distillation following fermentation of pears selected when fully ripe enables all of the aromatic intensity to be extracted from the fruit.

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.

What flavors pair well with pears? ›

Pear: Pairs well with almond, apple, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, clove, ginger, hazelnut, nutmeg, pecan, raspberry, rosemary, vanilla, and walnut. It mixes best with brandy, port, crème de cassis, Grand Marnier, kirsch, rum, whiskey, and dry red white, and sparkling wines.

Is brandy and liqueur the same thing? ›

Eaux-de-vie (brandies) and liqueurs both refer to spirit drinks, but their production methods are very different and they each have their own specific tastes.

What's the difference between brandy and liqueur? ›

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.

Does pear brandy taste like pear? ›

Extraordinarily fruit-forward, this brandy tastes exactly like biting into a crisp, ripe pear, with an intense, natural pear aroma to match. One of the best tree fruit brandies we've ever had the pleasure of reviewing.

What makes a liqueur a brandy? ›

In a broader sense, the term brandy also denotes liquors obtained from the distillation of pomace (yielding pomace brandy), or mash or wine of any other fruit (fruit brandy). These products are also called eau de vie (literally "water of life" in French).

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