2022 Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 1 – Jingle Belle. We’ve finally arrived, December 1st and the beginning of 24 days of craft cocktails to make spirits bright this holiday season. The imagery throughout this year’s calendar was inspired by vintage spirits and jewelry ads. As you’ll see in the days to come, there is a more human element throughout; cocktails, after all, are best enjoyed in good company.
To that end, be sure to join me on my Instagram story nightly at 5 p.m. Eastern as I shake up each of these cocktails from today until Christmas Day!
This post is sponsored by Belle de Brillet.
I wanted to begin the series with a pear cocktail as these seem to be perennial favourites – the Pear Noël which I kicked off the 2020 edition with continues to be one of the most popular drinks I’ve ever made.
Other pear cocktails you might enjoy:
This year I had the pleasure of crafting a drink with Belle de Brillet. This spirit combines the intense fruitiness of Williams pears, harvested and distilled in the Anjou region with the delicate complexity of Cognac.
Belle de Brillet‘s rich and harmonious flavour is shaped by centuries of history. Maison Brillet dates back to 1656 with Guy Brillet’s birth, the founding father of the vineyard in the heart of the Cognac region. In 1850, the vineyard evolved to become a trading house, thanks to Vivien Brillet, the 7th generation, who created a distillery and cellars.
In the 1920s, Jean and Raymond developed the Maison further, offering their own range of cognacs in Petite and Grande Champagne (the two first crus of Cognac) and Pineau des Charentes. Ten generations have passed on the passion and kept the family vineyard alive.
Belle de Brillet was created in 1985 by Jean-Louis Brillet, whose name pays tribute to his “Belle”, his wife Isabelle. Together, they worked to promote this unique liqueur, with its distinctive pear-shaped bottle, and has since become the flagship of the House.
No additives (caramel or added flavours) or neutral alcohol are used in the production of Belle de Brillet. The ingredients list is strictly limited to pear eaux-de-vie, Cognac, water and vanilla sugar made with Fresh vanilla from Madagascar. Each bottle of Belle de Brillet contains the equivalent of 18 pears!
As such, I wanted to lean into the pear flavour of this spirit by letting it shine against a neutral vodka, and complementing the pear flavours with sage, lemon, Champagne, and a splash of hard pear cider.
I think you’re going to like this one. Belle de Brillet is available in limited quantities at the LCBO so place your order ASAP to get your hands on this beautiful spirit or seek one out at the SAQ.
Jingle Belle
My pear cocktails are a perennial favourite and this year I had the pleasure of crafting a drink with Belle de Brillet. This spirit combines the intense fruitiness of Williams pears, harvested and distilled in the Anjou region with the delicate complexity of Cognac.
- 1 oz Belle de Brillet
- 1 oz vodka
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ½ oz sage champagne syrup
- 2-3 oz hard pear cider to top
- Garnish: pear fan
- 1 cup champagne
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup fresh sage sprigs
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Add all ingredients (except hard pear cider) to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
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Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with hard pear cider.
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Garnish with a pear fan.
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Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over low
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heat. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved.
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Cool to room temperature. Store syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Yum Yum