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Golden pear ginger smash in a rocks glass over crushed ice, garnished with thin fanned pear slices, dark background, white surface.

Pear Ginger Smash

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Bourbon and fresh pear nectar over crushed ice with muddled ginger, lemon, and a dash of Angostura bitters. Warm, bright, and a little unexpected.

This cocktail is part of our Date Nite collection, made to be sipped while you cook together.​

COCKTAIL RECIPE

Makes 1 cocktail

3-4 thin slices fresh ginger
2 oz bourbon
1 oz pear nectar
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup, optional
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Thin pear slices, for garnish

Muddle the ginger firmly in a cocktail shaker to release the juice and oils. Add the bourbon, pear nectar, lemon juice, bitters, and ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Taste, and if it needs more sweetness, add the simple syrup and shake again. Strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass and garnish with thin pear slices fanned on the rim.

NOTES FROM THE BAR

Heads up: We may earn a small commission on products we’ve linked here. We only recommend the real-deal favorites from our kitchen.

PEAR NECTAR

We use Yoga brand pear nectar, an Italian import made with 50% fruit. It has a rich, naturally sweet pear flavor that does a lot of the heavy lifting in this drink. Look for it at specialty grocery stores or online. → Shop our favorite pear nectar


THE GINGER

Muddle the ginger firmly so the juice and oils fully release into the drink. Three slices gives you a subtle warmth, four gives you more heat. Adjust based on how much ginger presence you want.


ANGOSTURA BITTERS

Two dashes of Angostura bitters adds a subtle spiced depth that ties the pear and ginger together beautifully. It is a small addition that makes a real difference. Don't skip it. → Shop our favorite Angostura bitters


BOURBON CHOICE

A smooth, slightly sweet bourbon works best here. We like Maker's Mark or Buffalo Trace. The pear and ginger are doing a lot of flavor work so you don't need anything too complex or high-rye.


SWEETNESS LEVEL

The simple syrup is optional if your pear nectar is sweet enough on its own. Taste the drink before straining and add it only if you feel it needs a little more balance.


CRUSHED ICE

Crushed ice is worth it for a smash. It chills faster, dilutes slowly, and looks beautiful in the glass. If you don't have a crushed ice maker, wrap a few cubes in a clean kitchen towel and give them a few good whacks with a rolling pin.

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JUST RELEASED

30 OF OUR MOST-LOVED COCKTAILS, GATHERED INTO ONE COLLECTION

Cover of A Cocktail Collection by Kevin & Kate Carr, showing a fig cocktail garnished with thyme in a coupe on a black background, with the subtitle 30 Cocktails Worth Making Again.

A COCKTAIL COLLECTION

30 COCKTAILS WORTH MAKING AGAIN

The cocktails we come back to most, gathered into one beautiful PDF, with six new recipes created exclusively for the collection.

80 pages · 24 favorites · 6 exclusive recipes · 13 house-made components

Instant download 

A RITUAL WE RETURN TO

Our cocktails are part of something bigger for us. They’re the beginning of Date Nite, a connection-centered experience we created to help you slow down, share a meal, and enjoy time with the one you love.

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Each Date Nite is thoughtfully planned for you, so you are not stuck deciding what to cook or how to pull the night together. We pair one cocktail with a complete menu, a simple flow from prep to plate, and small details that make the evening feel easy and connected from start to finish.

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It is not about perfection. It is about presence, and creating space to reconnect, whether that is with your partner or simply with yourself, over a really good meal.

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WE CREATED THIS FOR YOU AND THE ONE YOU LOVE
Kevin & Kate

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