The minute Labor Day is over, I can’t wait to start playing with fall flavors. It’s my favorite time of the year to make seasonal cocktails, as apples, pears and figs pair perfectly with booze and get me excited for the holidays ahead. In the spirit of “back to school,” here’s a little lesson. Consider me your teacher of leisure class, and today we’re going to learn a killer recipe that can be your go-to for entertaining this fall. Fancy enough to impress, but easy enough to mix up for any occasion.

Fancy enough to impress, but easy enough to mix up for any occasion.

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Autumn Gimlet

2 oz Gin

.5 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

.5 oz Brown Sugar Simple Syrup (1:1 ratio sugar + water, diluted)

1 Pear

3 Sage Leaves

Club Soda

Dollop of Butter

In a pan, melt a dollop of butter. Cut pear in half and place each half face down in the pan. As pear starts to brown, add a splash of the brown sugar syrup. Cook pear until it starts to caramelize. Remove from pan and slice each half into quarters.

In a Mason jar or cocktail mixer, muddle 1/4 of the pear, 2 sage leaves and the gin, lime juice and simple syrup.  Add ice, shake vigorously.

In a glass, add ice. (I like the square Tivoli ice trays for a perfect cube.) Strain the cocktail over the new ice in the glass.

Top with a splash of club soda, and for garnish, add a slice of the caramelized pear and a sage leaf.  

Put on your favorite fall sweater, sip, and savor a perfect fall moment!

Cheers,

Rachel Mae

Rachel Mae Furman is a self-proclaimed “Leisure Expert" on a quest to elevate moments, create occasions and curate experiences at any given moment. She has spent the last decade traveling the country scouring the back roads and small towns of America for inspiration, then jet-setting from city to city on the corporate dime, building booze brands in the liquor business. Inspired by her Grandmom Doris to be the perfect little hostess, Rachel is known for whipping out a mason jar Old Fashioned from her purse just when you need it. Her blog Smoke & Honey celebrates the art of leisure, from cocktails to entertaining, style to homemaking. Follow her @rachelmaefurman.