If you love a cocktail that tastes like fall without being heavy, the Spiced Pear and Maple Martini is the kind of drink you’ll want to to start making ASAP. It’s silky, lightly sweet, and full of soft pear flavor. Add a touch of maple and cinnamon that makes it feel instantly cozy, and you’ve got a martini that captures everything good about autumn without making you feel like you just ate dessert.
Vodka keeps the drink clean and bright, letting the pear really shine without competing for attention. It’s simple to shake up but looks elegant in the glass—perfect for a holiday gathering where you want to impress, or a slow night at home when you want something that doesn’t require a trip to three different stores for obscure ingredients.
Spiced Pear and Maple Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka (do NOT use Pear Vodka or it will take over)
- 1 oz pear purée
- 0.5 oz maple syrup
- 0.25 oz lemon juice
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Ice
- Garnish: pear slice lightly dusted with cinnamon
- Glass: chilled martini glass
Instructions
- Add vodka, pear purée, maple syrup, lemon juice, and a pinch of cinnamon to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake well until very cold —about 15-30 seconds. Martinis need to be COLD.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass (put it in the freezer while you make the drink).
- Garnish with a thin pear slice and a light dusting of cinnamon
Pear Purée How-To
Peel and core 3-4 ripe pears (Bartlett or Bosc work great), chop them up, and blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer for that silky texture. Add a squeeze of lemon to prevent oxidation. Makes about 2 cups and keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can freeze it in glass jars for more than a month too.
Add a Touch of Vanilla
A tiny splash of vanilla syrup (like ¼ oz) or ⅛ tsp vanilla extract ties the cinnamon and pear together beautifully, without it becoming a vanilla martini.
How to Make a Batch
For 8 servings (base mixture):
- 16 oz vodka (2 cups)
- 8 oz pear purée (1 cup)
- 4 oz maple syrup (½ cup)
- 2 oz lemon juice (¼ cup)
- 8 small pinches of cinnamon (or about ¼ tsp total)
Combine everything in a large pitcher and stir thoroughly. Pear purée can settle, so give it a good stir before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days—the flavors actually integrate beautifully as it sits, though the pear can oxidize and darken slightly (still tastes great, just less vibrant looking).
When guests arrive, pour 3.75 oz of the mixture over ice in a shaker, shake vigorously for 10-12 seconds until very cold, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Each drink takes less than a minute once you’ve got your rhythm down.
Batch tip
Pre-chill your martini glasses in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before guests arrive. Stack them carefully and they’ll stay cold for a while. Pre-slice your pear garnishes and keep them in lemon water so they don’t brown. Have a small dish of ground cinnamon and a tiny spoon ready for dusting garnishes. Set up an assembly line and you’ll breeze through drink orders.
Spiced Pear and Maple Martini Mocktail Recipe
- 1.5 oz pear purée
- 0.75 oz maple syrup
- 0.5 oz lemon juice
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 2 oz sparkling water or non-alcoholic ginger beer
- Garnish: pear slice with cinnamon dust
Shake the purée, maple, lemon, and cinnamon with ice vigorously until cold, strain into a chilled martini glass, and top with bubbles. It’s bright, lightly spiced, has that festive fizz, and still feels like a special seasonal sip. The ginger beer option adds a spicy kick that mimics alcohol’s warmth without the actual alcohol, but it will change the original flavors of the cocktail.
Home Bar Tips
Use ripe pears for purée. The riper the pear, the silkier and sweeter the cocktail. Pears should give slightly when you press them—not rock hard, not mushy and overripe. Bartlett pears are sweet and smooth; Bosc pears are slightly spicier and more complex. Both work beautifully.
Maple thickness varies. If your maple syrup is very thick (especially if it’s been in the fridge), warm it for a few seconds in the microwave or hold the bottle under hot water so it blends smoothly in the shaker. Thick, cold maple can glob up and not incorporate properly, leaving you with uneven sweetness.
Don’t overdo the cinnamon. A pinch adds warmth and complexity—too much overpowers the delicate pear flavor and makes it taste like you’re drinking potpourri. I’m talking about 5-6 tiny gratings if using fresh, or literally a pinch between two fingers if using ground. Less is more here.
Chill the martini glass. Cold glass + cold martini = smoother texture, better mouthfeel, and the drink stays cold longer. Warm martinis are depressing. Put your glasses in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before making drinks.
Try pear vodka. If you want to lean even harder into pear flavor, a pear-infused vodka (like Grey Goose La Poire or Absolut Pears) works, but will create a more immersive pear experience. The maple and cinnamon will linger in the background, but the pear will be the dominate flavor.
Shake vigorously. Martinis need to be very, very cold. Shake hard and shake long—your arms should feel it. This isn’t a gentle shake; really work for that icy-cold temperature. The dilution from melting ice is also important for texture and balance.
Fresh lemon juice matters. Even though it’s only ¼ oz, that bright citrus note is what keeps this drink from being cloying. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and will dull the whole cocktail. Squeeze a fresh lemon—it takes 30 seconds and costs less than a dollar.
What If I Don’t Have…?
Sometimes ingredients go missing or you’re working with what you’ve got. Here’s how to improvise without losing the magic:
No pear purée? Apple purée works beautifully and gives you a similar soft, fruity sweetness. Peach or apricot also works well, but obviously will change the flavor.
Store-bought pear nectar can work in a pinch (strain it if it’s too pulpy), though it’s sweeter, so reduce the maple syrup to ¼ oz. If you have little ones in the house, pear baby food is excellent in cocktails. Don’t judge me… it’s the truth.
No fresh pears to make purée? Canned pears in juice (not syrup) can be blended into purée. Drain them well, blend smooth, and strain. They’re softer and less flavorful than fresh but still work. Adjust sweetness accordingly.
No maple syrup? Honey works as a substitute—it gives you a different flavor profile (more floral, less caramelly) but still delicious and seasonal. Use the same amount. Simple syrup works but you lose that essential autumn depth that makes this drink special.
No vodka? Gin creates a more botanical, complex version that’s also lovely—just different. The juniper plays nicely with pear. Light rum gives you a slightly tropical vibe. Pear eau de vie or pear brandy makes this incredibly pear-forward and sophisticated.
No cocktail shaker? Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid works great. Protein shaker bottles are perfect. Just make absolutely sure it’s sealed before shaking, or you’ll have pear purée all over your clothes.
No martini glass? A coupe glass works beautifully and is actually easier to drink from. A wine glass is fine. Even a rocks glass works—you’ll lose the elegant martini presentation, but the drink tastes the same. Don’t let glassware stop you from making a good drink.
Can’t make a pear garnish? A lemon twist adds brightness and looks elegant. A cinnamon stick is pretty and aromatic. Even just a dusting of cinnamon on the drink’s surface works. Garnishes are nice but optional—the drink is what matters.
Troubleshooting
Even experienced cocktail makers run into issues. Here’s how to rescue yours:
“Help, mine tastes too sweet!”
- Add more lemon juice, about ⅛ oz (¾ tsp) at a time, and shake again
- Your pear purée might be from very ripe, sweet pears—that’s adding natural sugar
- Reduce the maple syrup to ¼ oz next time
- Add an extra ½ oz of vodka to balance the sweetness
“This is way too tart/sour!”
- Add another ¼ oz of maple syrup (or simple syrup if you don’t want more maple)
- Make sure you measured the lemon correctly—¼ oz is just ½ tablespoon, very small
- Your pear purée should provide natural sweetness—make sure you used ripe pears
- Let it sit for 30 seconds after shaking—flavors often balance out
“It tastes weak and watery”
- You over-shook it and melted too much ice—though martinis can handle longer shaking
- Make sure you’re using the full 2 oz of vodka (easy to under-pour)
- Your ice might be old, soft, or freezer-burned—use fresh, hard ice
- You might not have shaken it cold enough—it should be almost painful to hold
“The pear flavor is barely there”
- Your pears might not be ripe enough—they should be soft and aromatic
- Use more pear purée (bump it to 1.25 or 1.5 oz)
- Try pear vodka for more intense pear flavor
- Make sure your pear purée is fresh—old purée loses flavor
“The cinnamon is overpowering”
- You used too much—a pinch means literally a tiny pinch, not a shake from the jar
- Next time use even less, or skip it entirely and just dust the garnish
- You can’t really fix it once it’s in there—strain through a fine mesh might help slightly, but if you can’t stand it, just start over
- Fresh ground cinnamon is stronger than the stuff in the jar—adjust accordingly
“The texture is grainy or chunky”
- Your pear purée wasn’t blended smooth enough—blend longer
- Strain the purée through a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth before using
- Your pears might have been too firm and fibrous—use riper ones
- Double strain the martini as you pour it into the glass
“It separated or looks weird”
- Pear purée can settle—shake harder to properly emulsify everything
- The purée might be too thick—thin it slightly with water if needed
- Make sure all liquid ingredients are well-combined before shaking
- Shake more vigorously to create better integration
“The maple sank to the bottom”
- Your maple syrup was too cold and thick—warm it slightly before using
- Shake more vigorously to fully incorporate
- Stir the batch mixture well before portioning if you pre-batched
- Add the maple to the shaker first, then other ingredients, to help it mix
“It’s not cold enough”
- Your martini glass wasn’t chilled—always pre-chill it
- You didn’t shake long enough—go for 12-30 seconds for martinis
- Your ice might be soft or too small—use large, hard ice cubes
- Make absolutely sure your shaker is frosty before straining
“The pear turned brown and looks gross”
- Pear oxidizes quickly—add lemon juice to your purée to prevent browning, but not too much or the lemon will take over
- Make the purée as fresh as possible and store it airtight
- It’s mostly cosmetic— it will still taste great even if less pretty
- The lemon in the recipe helps prevent this, but can’t stop the browning entirely
