Last weekend, we celebrated the birthday of our friend G. Having lived in the house next door since the ‘70s, she’s the matriarch of the neighborhood, the adopted Oma to several kids on our street. R & K hosted a dinner party in her honor – he got the fireplace roaring and fetched some bottles of the good stuff from the wine cellar, while she prepared an incredible gourmet version of shrimp and grits. G is a regular at my cocktail parties and, in lieu of a gift, she asked me to create a drink to mark the occasion. How could I resist?

K’s menu included an arugula salad with pears and blue cheese, and dessert of baked stuffed apples paired with her homemade nocino (all fantastic, btw). Given this flavor palate, I decided to go with the tastes of fall fruit and warming winter spices. I considered the Jalisco Pear, a pear-and-allspice take on the margarita I’d had at Gramercy Tavern a few years ago. The smoky cider-based Autumn Bonfire, from my last cocktail party, was another option. And I was intrigued by the Statesman from the PDT bar guide, an ersatz martini with a touch of pear liqueur and green Chartreuse.

All of those drinks fit my typical profile of assertive flavors, but I wanted something with a bit more subtlety. Something with the delicate fruit at the forefront rather than in the background. Something akin to the sublime sophistication of the barley shochu cocktail at Bar Goto, which I wrote about earlier this year. Bingo! Once I had that target in mind, it was simply a matter of mixing and matching the right flavors. Now, should I go with apple or pear? Both, I decided. A hint of botannicals and bitterness from the addition of sweet vermouth, balanced by the dry nuttiness of fino sherry. All rounded out by a splash of allspice dram and a dash of pecan bitters. G’s verdict: “Mmmm, this is delicious! One of the best drinks I’ve ever had!” Mission accomplished.

You know, I think I’m getting the hang of this cocktail thing…

h.

Brookfield Reverie

• ¾ oz. Laird’s Applejack

• ¾ oz. Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear

• ¾ oz. Lustau Fino Jarana

• ¾ oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth de Chambéry

• scant barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

• dash pecan bitters (homemade)

• cocktail shaker, Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, rocks glass, ice

Steps

• combine all ingredients in shaker

• half-fill with ice and stir until well chilled

• strain into glass over ice