The Taste of Serendipity

Serendipity is the sauce that gives life flavor; it can also add a lot to the world of cocktails.  The Holiday Season usually leaves me with an eclectic collection of booze that I probably would never have bought on my own.  There are the usual leftover bottles of champagne, but also some wonderfully unusual spirits.  This year’s star is a pear-infused vodka made by Alameda’s Hangar One.  The vodka was a gift from my father, who knows I love Hangar One, but am usually too cheap to buy it for myself.  The “Spiced Pear” is a seasonal, infused vodka that the distillery says is only made during October.  Unlike most distilleries, Hangar One uses actual fruit for its infused flavors, which provides a great deal more depth to the spirit.  It also makes the vodka a bit too pricey to qualify for my home bar, which is where that playful imp Serendipity enters the story.

It’s true that some don’t appreciate booze-related serendipity the way I do.  I’ve visited many a friend’s house only to find interesting, gifted bottles of specialty booze that were unopened and gathering dust.  A lack of familiarity with a particular spirit often results in the bottle landing on the shelf, which is a shame because gifted liquor is the perfectly priced ingredient.  My philosophy of easy, inexpensive cocktails is guided by the principle of “total utilization of available resources,” so I’m loath to let a bottle of anything go unused.  Over the years, I’ve always found that there’s a lot of fun and flavor at the intersection of serendipity and curiosity.

                                              Sparkling Pear

                                                Ingredients

     1 oz. Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka  * ½ oz. Triple Sec  * 4 oz. Champagne

Start with a champagne flute or any 7-8 oz. glass.  Pour in the vodka and triple sec.  Then top off with the champagne.  Give it a careful stir, but be careful because too much motion will cause the champagne to get overly excited.  During pear season, or to eliminate the specialty booze, a good alternative version of the Sparkling Pear can be made using ripe pears.  For this version, start by dicing about a quarter of a ripe pear and then drop the pieces into a shaker with ice.  Add the vodka and triple sec.  Shake vigorously to macerate the pear with the ice then pour into a glass.  You can strain the mixture if you want, but for the fruitiest results I recommend cracking open the shaker’s lid and allowing some of the macerated pear pieces to flow into the glass.  Top off with champagne and celebrate serendipity.

Find more time and money saving ideas at 30-Second Bartender.com!  And, don’t forget to give a “like” on Facebook.