Well, neither Mark nor I placed in the pear cocktail contest. I find consolation in the fact that the drinks that won all look to be fantastically delicious.
One of the nice things about loosing in a cocktail competition is that the winners are kind enough to provide you with consolation. The first place entry is more complex than I want to bother with for home mixing, and the second place entry takes time to infuse tequila with pears, but the third place cocktail… Well, that one sounds delicious, and I can mix it when I get home.
I am still happy with the one I came up with and it doesn’t involve any crazy prep, so I will share it below.
It does have some obscure ingredients though. Sorry. Personally, I thought Mark’s was better, but I will leave it to him to post it.
Cain and Able
1 oz. pear liqueur (Mathilde)
3/4 oz. bourbon (Bulleit)
3/4 oz. rye (Rittenhouse)
2/3 tsp. Fernet-Branca
1 dash Fee’s Grapefruit Bitters
lemon twist
Where substitutes could be used, I put the brand I went with in parenthesis.
To make: Combine all ingredients, stir and strain. Garnish with lemon twist.
Iceland Spar 
November 2, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Will you make me one when I come out to visit?
November 2, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Of course.
November 8, 2007 at 8:14 am
Hi Ian. I just came across your blog this morning. It’s too early in the AM to try your Cain and Able, but as soon as I get some Grapefruit bitters, I’m gonna stir me up some trouble. Anything with whiskey is good in my book.
And thanks for saying my cocktail sounds delicious (I came in third in the competition). Would love to know what you think after you’ve tried it. You can check out a video of me making one on Cocktail Buzz, my Web site, http://www.cocktailbuzz.com. Bottoms up!
January 28, 2008 at 7:28 am
Hello again, Ian. Steve and I had your Cain and Able last night (we finally picked up some grapefruit bitter). What an unusual and complex drink. The flavor profile ranged anywhere from vanilla to perfume. The Fernet Branca really changes the way the whiskeys taste, and mixing it with the pear liqueur really brings out the perfumy notes. The grapefruit bitters was a nice addition. And we’ve never had a drink before that used rye and bourbon. Cheers and happy mixing!