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Pera de Madeira

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Updated 01/28/22
Pera de Madeira cocktail in a coupe, garnished with pear slices wrapped around a cherry

Fort Defiance

New York bartender Stephen Bielawski created the Pera de Madeira during his time at Fort Defiance in Brooklyn. Originally made for the winter holidays, it combines aged cachaça with two types of rum, DIY matcha syrup, fresh lemon juice, pear juice and a mist of absinthe.

Cachaça is similar to rum, but the native Brazilian spirit is distilled from 100 percent sugar cane juice rather than the more common molasses. Its flavors can range from sweet and fruity to dry, earthy and grassy. Many bottles are clear and unaged, while other versions—like the one employed in this recipe—see the inside of a barrel and take on deeper, more complex flavors.

Avuá Bálsamo is aged for up to two years in burgundy-colored barrels made from bálsamo wood. It’s joined by Denizen (an aged blend of Trinidadian and Jamaican rums) and Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, which both sport rich and tropical flavors. Matcha syrup brings green notes to the party, balanced by fresh lemon juice and sweet pear juice. Before serving, coat your glass with a mist of absinthe. This practice, most famous for its use in the Sazerac, lends anise-laced aromatics to each sip.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Avuá Bálsamo aged cachaça

  • 1/2 ounce Denizen aged white rum

  • 1/2 ounce Smith & Cross rum

  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 ounce matcha syrup*

  • 1/2 ounce pear juice

  • Pernod absinthe, to mist

  • Garnish: pear slices

  • Garnish: maraschino cherry

Steps

  1. Add the cachaça, Denizen rum, Smith & Cross rum, lemon juice, matcha syrup and pear juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Spray a mist of absinthe into a chilled coupe.

  3. Strain the mixture into the coupe.

  4. Garnish with skewered pear slices formed into a rose around a Luxardo maraschino cherry.

*Matcha syrup: Heat 1/2 cup water in a small pot on the stove until simmering. Remove from heat and add 2 whole leaf matcha tea bags. Infuse for about 10 minutes. Once the tea is steeped, remove the bags, return the pot to the stove, and bring to a slow boil. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand until cool before using or refrigerating.