Pear-Ginger Cocktails In A Jar
Make a DIY cocktail kit for the cocktail lover on your gift list. This pear-ginger cocktail is made with dehydrated fruit and spices that are infused in alcohol.
DIY cocktail kits have become a popular gift idea. You may have seen these kits in gift shops, selling a variety of jars containing different combinations of dehydrated fruits, spices, herbs, and sweeteners.
Alcohol is added to the jars, allowing the flavors to infuse for a few days. The result is a flavorful infused alcohol which can be used to make specialty cocktails.
I love the idea.
But I don’t love the price tag.
DIY cocktail kits in gift shops usually cost between $25 and $30 each.
(Psst: You can make your own at home for about $5!)
How To Make A Pear-Ginger DIY Cocktail Kit
I made a festive pear-ginger cocktail mix by combining the following ingredients:
- Dehydrated pears
- Dehydrated ginger
- Cinnamon stick
- Sugar cubes
To assemble: Place several sliced of dehydrated pears, a few slices of dehydrated ginger, and one short cinnamon stick in a pint-sized Mason jar. Include a 375 ml bottle of spiced rum, like Captain Morgan.
To infuse: Pour spiced rum into Mason jar and allow to sit for 3 or more days. The longer it infuses, the stronger the flavor will be.
Make Other DIY Cocktail Kits
This recipe makes a very delicious, warmly-spiced infused alcohol.
But there are SO many flavorful combinations to consider:
- Old fashioned: Dehydrated oranges, raspberries, and cranberries + cinnamon sticks + sugar cubes + bourbon/whiskey
- Margarita: Dehydrated oranges, lemon, and strawberries + sugar cubes + tequila (white or gold)
- Sangria: Dehydrated fruit + sugar cubes + a bottle of red or white wine
- Moscow mule: Dehydrated lime and ginger + sugar cubes + vodka, ginger beer and bitters
Get creative. Reimagine your favorite cocktail and turn in into a DIY cocktail-in-a-jar kit.
How To Make A Spiced Pear Cocktail
Follow this recipe after your pear-ginger cocktail in a jar has been infused in rum for a few days:
- Make a sweetened pear puree: Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Add 2 chopped pears (like Bartlett), and cook for 3 more minutes, until pear is softened. Cool and blend to puree.
- To make cocktail: For each cocktail, combine 1 ounce of infused rum from the Mason jar with 1/3 cup of the pear puree. Add ice cubes, garnish with sliced pear, and serve.
Using Dehydrated Ingredients
Dehydrated – not dried – ingredients are ideal for these DIY cocktail kits.
I make all kinds of things in my dehydrator, from dehydrated spice blends to apple chips.
For this recipe, I used a mandolin slicer to thinly slice pears and ginger. I dehydrated them until they were completely dry, which took about 12 hours in my dehydrator.
DIY Pear-Ginger Cocktails In A Jar
This recipe makes enough to make 4 pint jars. Pair filled Mason jars with a 375 ml bottle of spiced rum. Alcohol should be infused for at least 2 days, for best flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 large Bartlett pears (or other firm pear)
- 2 thumb-sized knobs of ginger
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 16 turbinado sugar cubes
Instructions
- Use a mandoline slicer to thinly slice pears and ginger. Place sliced pears and ginger in dehydrator. Dehydrating time will vary depending on the thickness of the fruit and your dehydrator.
- Once fruit and ginger is completely dried, evenly distribute into 4 pint-sized Mason jars. Add cinnamon sticks and 4 sugar cubes per jar.
- Pair each Mason jar with a 375 ml bottle of spiced rum.
- Instructions to infuse alcohol: Pour rum into Mason jar and allow to infuse for 3 or more days. Before serving, remove fruit & spices and strain to ensure no solids remain.
- Instructions to make sweetened pear puree. Bring water and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan.. Simmer for 3 minutes. until sugar is dissolved. Add chopped pears and cook for about 3 more minutes, until softened. Remove from heat and cool. Puree until smooth.
- Instructions to make pear-ginger cocktails: Combine 1 ounce of infused rum from Mason jar with 1/3 cup sweetened pear puree. Add ice cubes and serve.