Spiced Pear Champagne Cocktail

I discovered this cocktail years ago for our Annual Christmas party. The original recipe is for a punch bowl and it's little too sweet. I've since tweaked it for my personal taste and altered it for individual drinks. This drink requires little more work since you need to make a simple syrup, however I use this syrup in my Spiced Kentucky Mule as well and it's a lovely addition to hot or iced tea. It's a great syrup to keep handy in your fridge. This recipe makes two cocktails.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Grey Good La Poire Vodka

• .5 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

• .5 oz honey-cinnamon syrup (recipe below)

• .5 oz lemon juice

• 2 oz pear juice (I prefer R.W. Knudson)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• ice

• Champagne, the good stuff, always

• pear slices for garnish

• cinnamon sticks for garnish

• mint for garnish

Directions

1. Chill two coupe glasses.

2. Pour La Poire vodka, Domaine de Canton, honey-cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, pear juice, vanilla extract in a shaker with ice.

3. Shake well.

4. Toss ice and strain cocktail into glasses evenly.

5. Top with champagne.

6. Garnish with a pear slice, cinnamon stick and a sprig of mint. Sip away!

Cinnamon Honey Simple Syrup
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow too cool. Remove cinnamon sticks and store in the fridge.