Toast to the elegant simplicity of “The Golden Night,” a pear champagne cocktail that embodies the essence of celebration. This delightful concoction blends the gentle warmth of cardamom with the crisp sweetness of pear, making it a standout choice for any festive occasion.
Come the New Year, everyone here in Los Angeles is buzzing about awards season. As food lovers, we’re always curious about what food and cocktails get served!
Lucky for me, I got to create one such cocktail myself. The Golden Night cocktail was my creation for Moët & Chandon for the Golden Globes Awards, where it served as the first-ever official cocktail of the awards. Because champagne is such a quintessential French ingredient, we wanted to bring a bit of that sophistication and elegance associated with it, so one sip would transport you to France! This cocktail is the perfect sipper to toast the glitz and glamour of the awards season, whether you’re here in California or watching it at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The Golden Night cocktail is bound to become a favorite due to its exquisite flavor profile that expertly marries fruity and spicy notes. It’s an ideal drink for those who appreciate a cocktail that’s as visually appealing as it is tasteful. The addition of homemade cardamom-infused pear simple syrup to the luxurious effervescence of brut champagne creates a sophisticated and memorable beverage.
Recipe Ingredients
- For the Pear Simple Syrup: Water, unrefined granulated sugar, and whole cardamom pods.
- For the Cocktail: Pear Williams brandy, chilled brut Champagne or sparkling wine, and ripe Forelle or Seckel pears for a garnish as beautiful as it is edible.
How to Make This Pear Champagne Cocktail Recipe
Create the pear simple syrup by simmering water, sugar, and crushed cardamom pods, then let it steep to infuse the flavors fully. Strain and mix the cooled syrup with pear brandy for a deeply flavored base. When ready to serve, pour the brandy syrup mixture into glasses, top with chilled champagne, and garnish with elegantly fanned pear slices for a drink that’s as festive as it is delightful.
Variations On This Recipe
- Spice Variations: Experiment with other spices, such as cinnamon or star anise, instead of cardamom for a different flavor twist.
- Fruit Options: To suit different seasonal fruits, substitute pear brandy with apple brandy and use apple slices for garnishing.
- Non-Alcoholic Version: Replace the champagne with sparkling apple cider and omit the brandy for a family-friendly version that still celebrates the flavors of pear and cardamom.
What to Serve This Recipe With
This pear champagne cocktail pairs beautifully with light appetizers such as cheese boards, seafood appetizers, or fruit platters. It’s also perfect for dessert pairings, especially with vanilla or caramel-flavored sweets, like this creme brulee, that complement the subtle spiciness of cardamom.
Serve this cocktail at your next dinner party, holiday gathering, or romantic evening to elevate the event with sophistication and sparkle.
More Champagne Cocktails
Looking for more festive sparkling wine cocktails? Here are a few Champagne cocktails our readers love:
- Blood Orange Pomegranate Sparkling Cocktail
- Sparkling Tamarind Pear Cocktail
- Bitter Sweet Sparkler Cocktail
Now, go stock up on all your cooking essentials, head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
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The Golden Night Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Pear Simple Syrup:
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar
- 20 whole cardamom pods crushed using the back of the pan or a rolling pin
For The Cocktail:
- 1/4 cup pear Williams brandy such as Aqua Perfecta by Saint George Spirits
- 1 (750 ml) bottle chilled brut Champagne or sparkling wine
- 2 small ripe Forelle or Seckel pears for garnish
Instructions
- For the syrup: Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar, add the crushed cardamom pods and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the simple syrup for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to steep and cool for 20 minutes.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the simple syrup, discard the seeds and pods, and place the simple syrup into a liquid measuring cup. Add the pear Williams brandy and stir to combine.
- For the cocktail: Just before serving, cut the pear off the core and slice pear lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices. (Separate slices into stacks of three and spread slightly to make a fan. If cutting slices ahead of serving time, coat them with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.)
- To serve, add 1/2 ounce of the pear brandy-cardamom simple syrup mixture to 6 white wine glasses or 6 coupe glasses (this makes enough syrup for 8 cocktails). Add 4 ounces of chilled Champagne to each glass, filling each glass about halfway. Garnish each glass with three pieces of fanned pear slices and serve.
