Pear Cider Ornamentini

Today’s post is more about the presentation than the actual recipe. But, don’t get me wrong. The recipe is a real winner too! So, we’ll start with that.

This recipe only requires a handful of ingredients. We need a couple bottles of hard cider, some organic pear juice (with no additional sugars added), and a homemade ginger simple syrup. That’s it! To make the simple syrup, it’s as easy as adding some water, sugar, and hunks of fresh ginger to a saucepan; letting it come to a boil, then removing it from the heat to allow the ginger to steep for about a half hour. After that, we’ll strain the syrup into a glass (which means we don’t even need to peel the ginger first since we’re straining it anyway!), then let it chill for a bit. Mix it all together, and voila! A simple, light, refreshing cocktail that’s perfect for celebrating any occasion.

Now of course, you can serve this cocktail in any kind of glass any time of year. But at the end of this holiday season, why not serve it in a festively decorated glass?

To make this an ornamentini, we need a 9 oz martini glass and 3 inch clear ornaments. You could get glass ornaments if you wanted for extra dazzle. But, I used plastic ornaments for these. You can typically find clear baubles that either snap at the sides (not the kind we want) or that you fill from the top. We want the latter. Ornaments are not typically used for food and drink, so it’s not likely that you’ll find ornaments labeled “food safe”. Instead, look for plastic listed as non toxic. That’s your best bet, and I have the ornaments I used linked below in the recipe.

I find it’s easier to fill the ornaments with the liquid using a funnel. But if you have a really steady hand, feel free to freestyle the pour from a measuring glass or something. Ultimately, we want to fill the ornament with about 6 oz of liquid. And, the liquid doesn’t have to be this cocktail. It could be any cocktail you can dream up, really. Or, you could even use juice or soda for kiddos or alcohol free loved ones.

To amp up the presentation even more, we’re going to use some shiny sanding sugar and a little agave syrup to rim the edges of our martini glass. Then, we’ll place our filled ornament right into the glass, add some extra ribbon to the ornament for flare, and our decorative cocktail is complete!

When you’re ready to drink, it’s as easy as popping the top off the ornament, and pouring it right into the glass. Or if things are getting really crazy at your holiday party, enjoy the beverage straight from the ornament!

Alright, everyone! If you recreate the magic of the ornamentini, make sure you tag me on social media so I can see it too!

Enjoy! Please drink responsibly. And, let’s drink!