What We're Making: The Pearallel Parked Cocktail

In early March, the weather tends to teeter between hints of the warmer season to come and reminders that a last dusting of snow could be right around the corner, calling for a cocktail that’s ready to fend off any remaining chills without being too heavy-handed. Perfect for the dwindling days of winter, the Pearallel Parked cocktail (so named for its featured ingredient and its similarities to the classic Sidecar) is a delicious blend of spice and bright notes devised by the experts at Pittsboro, North Carolina-based Fearrington. The beautiful Relais & Chateaux property, which is easily accessible from Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, boasts an excellent seasonally-driven restaurant and frequently hosts tastings and talks for food and beverage enthusiasts, so we knew we were in for a treat when the recipe arrived in our inbox. Here’s how to make the drink at home:

Pearallel Parked Cocktail

Ingredients:
3/4 ounce Christian Drouin Calvados
3/4 ounce Hennessey VS
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce spiced pear reduction (recipe below)
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Pear for garnish

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously, strain into a coupe class, and garnish with a pear ball (or two!).

Spiced Pear Reduction Recipe:
Simmer one pear in simple syrup (to make simple syrup, combine equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan and heat the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved) with one clove, cinnamon stick, and piece star anise, then strain. [Editor’s note: Our chef suggests using the leftover pear on a salad.]

Fearrington is featured in The Scout Guide Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill.