This Spiced Pear Bellini recipe is the perfect sparkling wine cocktail for all your parties. With cinnamon and cardamom, it's full of flavor and it feels festive and elegant. But this hack makes it so easy!
This is one of my favorite wine cocktails to make when having company over! And while some people may not think this is a legit bellini (because it doesn't have pureed fruit) I think it absolutely counts!
I like to look for shortcuts when creating drinks. This hack takes a ton of work out of making this yummy pear cocktail while still giving you a delicious flavor.
Maybe that makes it a pear mimosa? I'm just not worried about the name. Because I KNOW you'll love the flavor!
And I can't take credit for this cocktail. I originally found the recipe by one of my fave artists/chefs/entertainers ever, Jennifer Rubell. If you don't have it, go buy her Real Life Entertaining. I've changed it up just a little but it was pretty near perfect.
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Why This Recipe Works
This pear champagne cocktail is perfect for all your celebrating needs. Because the spices are some that you often find seasonally, it's a great winter bellini. But really, the pear is timeless and is great to use all year long.
The amount of spice-infused pear juice makes it easy to make just one drink with some leftovers or a bellini for a crowd. And it can be made ahead of time which will leave you more time to enjoy with your guests. It's also great for brunch since you can make the juice the day before.
Related: Spiced Pear Moscow Mule recipe
This is my favorite thing to drink on New Year's Eve! I mean, who wants to sip boring old champagne, when you can drink one of these!
The bubbles from the wine and the flavors of the infused pear juice make this 4 ingredient recipe for a bellini just right for any time of day, year or occasion!
Since a bellini recipe is basically as easy as adding sparkling wine to a glass along with some nectar or juice, the real recipe is for the spiced pear juice.
And while using pureed pears might be more traditional, this seasonal bellini recipe is so much easier!!!
Ingredients
- Pear Juice
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Cardamom
- Sugar
- Sparkling Wine
Scroll to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Pear is not a super common ingredient in cocktails. While I always try to look for pear juice, sometimes they only have pear nectar. Use whatever you can find.
Hint: You should sample the juice or nectar before you begin to check for sweetness. You may not want to add any additional sugar depending on how much is already used.
How to Make a Spiced Pear Bellini
Infuse the Pear Juice
- Place the cinnamon sticks flat on the cutting board with the rolled side down. Lay the flat side of a Chef’s knife on top of the cinnamon sticks, give it a swift whack with the heel of your hand, taking care to hold the knife still with your left hand (blade faced away from you), while making sure you strike near the top of the knife and not the blade.
2. Add the cardamom and cinnamon to a medium saucepan.
3. Add the pear nectar or juice and sugar, if using.
4. Heat the juice on high heat until boiling.
5. Then turn off the heat and cover it before letting it sit for at least an hour.
6. Strain out the large pieces of cinnamon as you pour them into a pitcher or other large container to cool. If you are really a stickler and don't want any spice particles, you can strain it through a few layers of cheesecloth, but you probably won't need to.
7. Refrigerate (once cooled) for at least 3 hours.
The pear mixture should be cooled completely before making the cocktails. The idea of warm champagne seems really disgusting to me.
How to Serve a Pear Bellini
To serve this pear bellini cocktail recipe, pour about an ounce of the pear juice into a glass, then top with sparkling wine.
So easy. Then you're ready to party.
Bellinis are a great way to get even more glasses out of a bottle of sparkling wine. Since you are adding a bit of juice or nectar, you'll use less wine.
It's a good way to stretch your dollar when entertaining.
Storing the Juice
The spiced pear juice is crazy tasty. And if you store it in an air-tight container, it will last for quite about a week in the fridge.
Serving a Crowd
You'll be able to get at least 5 glasses of champagne from one bottle. So purchase as many bottles as you think you'll need.
You can easily make less of the pear nectar if you aren't having a huge party. BUT, the pear juice is delicious and can be drunk on its own. It's a great option to serve to the kids!
The spiced pear nectar will be enough to make close to 30 servings, depending on how much nectar each person uses.
Variations
Of course, these yummy pear bellinis would still be tasty using plain pear juice, but don't be lazy. Infusing it with spices makes it AMAZING! It's really is extra special.
I prefer to make this without the sugar since I don't like sweet drinks. But I do recognize that a little sweetener sometimes helps to balance flavors. It will not ruin the recipe either way.
It is possible to get a spiced pear flavor in cocktails without taking the time to infuse it. But it works best for making single servings of cocktails like these Spiced Pear Moscow Mules.
You can easily make a smaller batch of juice if you aren't planning on serving a large crowd. And you can use an individual bottle of wine so you don't have to open a large one that may go unused.
The infused juice is non-alcoholic, you can also serve it to kids with a little sparkling apple cider or sprite. (You can make non-alcoholic mimosas also. See how I set up a bar for Non-Alcoholic Mimosas for a Mother's Day brunch).
Frequently Asked Questions
Both cocktails use sparkling wine. A traditional mimosa is a champagne with orange juice. A bellini is typically made with pureed peaches. While this may be how both of these drinks began, these two terms are pretty much interchangeable.
For me, I typically consider any juice mixed with sparkling wine as a mimosa. And I consider any pureed fruit (or one with nectar) and sparkling wine as a bellini. But in legit cocktail circles, you may get laughed at if you use this designation so don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Pureed pears are when you take the actual fruit plus a little water and blend in a blender or food processor. Nectar is usually made from the fruit plus has some other ingredients like sweeteners. Pear juice is extracted from the fruit and strained to remove the solids. They are all very similar and therefore, in my opinion, interchangeable in this recipe.
Sparkling wine includes champagne, cava, or prosecco. They just call it different things depending on where it's made. When using sparkling wine in cocktails, you can get away with using something not too expensive. But you should always use something that you wouldn't mind the flavor of on its own. La Marca Prosecco is a great, reasonably-priced brand. And Trader Joe's has a decent sparkling wine too.
This pear Bellini recipe is the perfect party drink. It's unexpected and delicious and who doesn't love when you bring out the bubbly?
Every time I make this drink, people have asked me for the recipe. It feels special but really doesn't take much effort.
Make sure you don’t lose this recipe by saving it for later! Also, for more recipes make sure you’re following me on Pinterest, Instagram and like my page on Facebook. If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and tag me in your pictures!
Related Recipes
If pear drinks are your thing, you also need to check out this
- Pear Chardonnay cocktail - If you're a chardonnay fan, this tasty drink is unique and one that must be tried!
- Pear and Rum Cocktail - This recipe has lots of nutmeg flavor making it a great seasonal cocktail.
- Pear Vodka Martini - Put a fruity twist on a classic drink with this easy vodka cocktail.
- Pear Sangria is unexpected and so delicious! You're friends will love it.
- This Iced Tea Sangria is a super refreshing twist on a classic wine cocktail for a crowd.
- The Best Ever Champagne Punch is perfect for any party or celebration.
- A Kombucha Mimosa is a fun and tangy twist on a basic brunch drink.
Spiced Pear Bellini
Ingredients
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cups pear juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup sugar optional
- 1 bottle of Prosecco or other sparkling wine chilled
Instructions
- Place the cinnamon on a cutting board.
- With the flat side of a Chef's knife laying flat on the cinnamon sticks, give it a whack with the heel of your hand to crack them open. (It will break into pieces)
- To a saucepan, add the broken cinnamon, cardamom, sugar (if using) and pear juice.
- Cook on high heat until boiling.
- Turn off heat and cover.
- Let sit for at least an hour.
- Strain out the large pieces of cinnamon as you pour into a pitcher or other large container to cool.
- Cool completely then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- To serve, pour about an ounce of spiced pear juice into a glass and top with sparkling wine.
- Serve immediately once champagne is added.
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