My Pear and Rosemary Mezcal Margaritas are sophisticated and elegant drinks for your next Fall get together. Sweet pear and woodsy rosemary play off of each other and balance out the intensely smoky mezcal for a drink that’s complex and satisfying.
Pear Rosemary Mezcal Margarita
Cool Fall nights feel like the perfect excuse to pick up the phone, invite a few friends over, light the fire pit, and make a batch of delicious cocktails. Everyone grabs a blanket and a chair and gathers round for a cozy evening of conversation. For those nights, I need a cocktail that’s intense, layered, and sophisticated. I need my Pear Rosemary Mezcal Margaritas.
These drinks are one of my favorite Fall cocktails. They are truly stunning with their pale green gold color, a sprig of rosemary and a slice of pear peeking out the top. When you sip them, the first thing you’ll notice is that piney rosemary aroma. It’s a little unexpected in a cocktail, but for me it always signals holidays and warm times with friends.
The first sip itself is a bit surprising with smoky, sweet, and savory flavors. I always notice the bold mezcal first with its smoky flavor that’s perfect by the fire. But underneath that smoke is the subtle sweet fruitiness of the pear nectar playing off the lime. And then the piney rosemary comes through, leaving an herbal note that lingers. This is the kind of sip that makes you want to close your eyes and savor how all of those different flavors come together.
I designed this Pear Rosemary Mezcal Margarita as a way to highlight the perfect pairing of pear and rosemary with their sweet/herbal combination. Pair it with the Rosemary Roasted Pear and Whipped Goat Cheese from that menu to really highlight how well these two flavors work together.
Sipping this cocktail by the fire makes for the perfect Fall evening. It’s that extra bit of smoky flavor from the mezcal that makes this cocktail truly memorable and a relaxed slow sipper for a cool Fall night.
Pear and Rosemary Mezcal Margarita
Ingredients
Method
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add mezcal, pear nectar, rosemary simple syrup, and fresh lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds.
- Place kosher salt and rosemary on a shallow plate. Run the lime around the rim of the glasses and press the rosemary salt to the rim. Fill the glasses with ice.
- Strain cocktail into glasses. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of pear.
Notes
Hosting Notes
- I like to garnish this really simply–rosemary salt on the rim and a slice of pear and sprig of rosemary tucked in the drink. It looks really sophisticated this way. You could also use a cocktail skewer to place the pear on top of the drink.
- Feel free to make the rosemary simple syrup in advance and keep it in the fridge so you’ll be ready to use it whenever you’re in need of a cocktail. If you’d like to batch the entire drink, you certainly can. Just add a fresh pear and rosemary to serve.
- This cocktail would make a lovely addition to a Thanksgiving meal. Or pair it with cheese for cocktail hour. The best cheese pairings would be:
- Goat cheese: the tang of goat cheese pairs well with the lime in the drink. And goat cheese and pear are a classic combination. Try it with my Rosemary Roasted Pear and Whipped Goat Cheese appetizer.
- Aged Manchego: the rich, slightly nutty, slightly salty flavor of Manchego holds up well to the sweetness of the pear and rosemary syrup.
- Triple Cream Brie: always delicious. The richness and earthy flavor of this cheese stand up well to the tequila.
- Mild Blue Cheese: another classic combo, pears and blue cheese. This is a bit more adventurous, but the funkiness of the cheese provides an interesting contrast to the intense smokiness of the mezcal.
Smoky, Sweet, and Savory–the perfect cocktail
My Pear and Rosemary Mezcal Margaritas are quickly entering that ‘made on repeat’ phase in my household. They’re just so complex and really feel like Fall!
If you enjoy the rosemary in the drinks or have leftover rosemary simple syrup, I have a few other ideas on The Mid Century Modern Romantic to try! Try my Rosemary Greyhound, which allows the woodsy rosemary to play off tart grapefruit juice. Or give it a whirl in my Autumn Spritz with Aperol and Rosemary! This was my signature Thanksgiving cocktail last year–it’s an elegant, seasonal spin on the Aperol spritz. My Blood Orange Rosemary Martinis are also delicious and truly beautiful with that orange jewel-toned color.
Try any of these cocktails this weekend for a romantic Fall evening at home!
