Spices rule the winter season. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom. Tropical heat and heady scents captured in intensely flavorful gingersnap cookies or celebratory toasts with sweet pear nectar and homemade cardamom infused brandy. Top it all with cava for a delightful winter drink
After the coffee infused rum was such a resounding success I continued on the infusion adventure with a trial batch of cardamom infused brandy. I left the cardamom pods whole so it took a week or so to impart the flavor of the spice but I imagine if pressed for time crushing the pods would speed the process or alternately a cardamom simple syrup would also do the trick. But if you are planning ahead 5-10 cardamom pods dropped into a jar and topped with 8 ounces of brandy will in about five days give you enough spicy goodness for approximately ten cocktails.
Cardamom Pear Ambrosia Cocktail
I decided to go with Cava for this cocktail, because I thought its somewhat more assertive flavor would be the best compliment to the cardamom and also because it is relatively inexpensive. Prosecco would be, in my opinion, too delicate. But a California sparkling or Blanc de Blanc would also do the trick.
recipe
combine one part cardamom infused brandy with five parts pear nectar (I had intended to make a pear puree but my perfectly ripe pears proved too tempting and were devoured before I had the chance and it is next to impossible to find a perfectly ripe pear in the store, those too take patience)
Add 3 Tablespoons of the brandy pear mixture to the bottom of a champagne flute (or a cordial glass if your like me and break champagne flutes, especially the delicate expensive ones) and top with bubbly.
Garnish with a thin wedge of pear.

Cardamom Pear Ambrosia Cocktail
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cardamom infused brandy
- 40 ounces pear nectar
- 1 bottle cava or sparkling wine of choice
Instructions
cardamom brandy pear nectar
- combine one part cardamom infused brandy with five parts pear nectar (I had intended to make a pear puree but my perfectly ripe pears proved too tempting and were devoured before I had the chance and it is next to impossible to find a perfectly ripe pear in the store, those too take patience)
assemble the cocktail
- Add 3 Tablespoons of the brandy pear mixture to the bottom of a champagne flute (or a cordial glass if your like me and break champagne flutes, especially the delicate expensive one and top with bubbly.
- Garnish with a thin wedge of pear.
Notes
I decided to go with Cava for this cocktail, because I thought its somewhat more assertive flavor would be the best compliment to the cardamom and also because it is relatively inexpensive. Prosecco would be, in my opinion, too delicate. But a California sparkling or Blanc de Blanc would also do the trick.
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[…] I want a twist on a traditional cocktail I look in the spice cabinet. Ginger, Pepper, Cardamom, […]