93 louisianacookin.comby crystal pavlasResident Bartender Crystal Pavlas is the head bartender at Chef Nina Compton’s Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans.
A Louisiana native and veteran mixologist, Crystal previously worked at Compère Lapin.AS SUMMER TRANSITIONS INTO FALL, I get
inspired by the fl avors of the approaching season. Pears are
one of my favorite ingredients this time of year, and since my
pawpaw had a pear tree in his yard when I was growing up,
I made this cocktail with him in mind.
Th e brandy I use in this cocktail, which I named A Perfect
Pearing, is made using Williams pears grown in the Alto
Adige region of northern Italy. Williams pears, also known as
Bartlett pears, are known for their classic fl avor, juiciness, and
smooth texture.
Additionally, I use Becherovka in this cocktail as another
tribute to my pawpaw and also to our family’s heritage. Th e
Pavlas family is from the Czech Republic, where the herbal
liqueur is distilled. My pawpaw drank Becherovka, which he
called his “stomach medicine” (it is oft en used as a digestive
aid), until he was 95 years old. It lends a nice cinnamon and
herbal component to this cocktail.
A Perfect Pearing is very bright and fruit-forward. It
has a tart fi nish, with lovely notes of ginger and lemongrass
in the Oleo Saccharum syrup from Cocktail & Sons, a line
of all-natural, handcraft ed cocktail syrups created by my
friend Max Messier. Th e oleo saccharum syrup is made by
muddling lemon and orange peels with Louisiana sugar and
then blending that mixture with the fl avors of lemongrass,
cardamom, and ginger.SWIZZLE STICK
FAMIILY TREE