Belle of the Ball

We love partnering with interesting and unique products, and while there are a lot of pear liqueurs on the market, we are huge fans of the . By utilizing the delicious Brillet Cognac Eau de Vie from the heart of the Cognac region, they give this liqueur a wonderful complex base, which is only amplified by their extremely mysterious “special plus” ingredient, which is a closely guarded secret by Maison Brillet. What is most amazing to us, is that it takes approximately twenty pounds of pears just to produce a single bottle. You may notice, but not many cognacs have screw tops, and I assume this is because the cork finish is something that represents quality and elegance, and this is something that Maison Brillet believes belongs in their pear liqueur also.

With a wonderful profile dominated with ripe pair, that finishes with crisp acidity, we decided this was a perfect product to use in a Sidecar variation. With the cognac base, we wanted to really bring this out, and put it on show, so a cocktail with a traditionally cognac base was perfect. The acidity in the Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur was tantalizing and we decided to amplify it with some additional lemon juice, and it came out deliciously. To take it next level, and keep this cocktail in the cognac region we decided to use our secret ingredient, Pineau des Charentes, which is essentially a cognac-fortified wine, which we use frequently in the place of dry vermouth.

Recipe: