Sparkling French Pear Vodka Martini

This French Pear Martini is a seasonal twist on the classic French 76 that combines vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and prosecco. A French 76 is a vodka version of the gin-based French 75, which is a timeless classic cocktail. It has the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Light and bright, it’s the perfect palate cleanser after rich holiday meals. Plus, it comes together in just five minutes with ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store. 

Pear vodka – this has become pretty easy to find in many liquor stores. Using a pear-flavored vodka makes the fall flavors of this cocktail shine bright. Pear vodka is something I’ve started keeping in my bar cart regularly as it can be used for just about any vodka drink.

Lemon juice – as with all citrus juices in cocktails, I recommend using fresh lemon juice. Bottle is fine in a pinch, but it does make a difference in the flavor of the cocktail.

Simple syrup – if you’ve been making cocktails for a while, you are no stranger to simple syrup. To make you’ll need to add ½ cup water and sugar each and heat on the stove until the sugar is fully dissolved. Allow it to completely cool before using it in cocktails.

Sparkling wine – Prosecco is one of the best options for a cocktail like this, but whatever sparkling wine you choose, you should go for a dry style like brut. With the simple syrup in this drink, sweet sparkling wines would be overly cloying. Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine and another common wine that is easily found in the brut style.

*Full ingredient list and measurements included in the recipe below*

1 – Add the pear vodka to a cocktail shaker.

2 – Then add your lemon juice.

3 – Lastly, add your simple syrup to the cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until well chilled.

4 – Strain the shaker into a cocktail glass.

5 – Top the cocktail off with prosecco.

6 – Add a garnish of either a dried or fresh pear slice.

• Use a chilled martini glass for an extra refreshing French Pear Martini.

• If you can’t find pear-infused vodka, you can substitute plain vodka in the same amount. You will want to add about 1 ounce of pear nectar or pear juice so that you can still get that pear flavor.

• You can replace the simple syrup with St. Germain in the same amount to add some extra flavor to the cocktail. St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur and is considered quite sweet, so it’s a good substitute for simple syrup. Triple sec would also be a good option for a sweet orange flavor. 

• For garnish, you can also use a lemon twist instead of a slice of pear.

• For an extra pop of sweetness, try dipping the rim of the glass in lemon juice and then in regular granular or superfine sugar.