Poire liquide Hélène

2 oz Poire William
1⁄2 oz Vanilla syrup (vanilla bean infused simple syrup)
2 ds Chocolate bitters, Mozart
1 twst Lemon peel
1 Candied violet (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, tumbler, iceball, twist, garnish

Notes

Intended as an after-dinner drink or even a dessert-course in a menu. The classic Pear belle Hélène in liquid form. The original recipe of the dish by Auguste Escoffier calls for the candied violet, so it is kept here. While not contributing largely to the flavor (although it will disintegrate if left floating for long enough, adding floral notes), it is used to retain some of the classic elegance of its haute cuisine origins.
The iceball is used to reflect the vanilla icecream from the original recipe.
When using Mozart Chocolate bitters, go easy on the dashes. It is quite intense and can ruin the balance if used in excess. However, one single dash has proven to be not enough.

History

The recipe for Pear belle Hélène is attributed to Auguste Escoffier, who published it in his Guide Culinaire. The inspiration for this liquid adaption came from the desire to use Eau-de-Vie in a drink that was classical in form while demonstrating the versatility of fruit-based spirits.

Cocktail summary
Created by
Anton Roeder, Hemingway Bar, Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Year
2012
Is the
author's original creation
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Comments

Do you prefer aged or unaged Poire Williams in this drink? I wish I could find the Mozart Dry where I am, as this sounds rather interesting. Oh, and the twist in the drink as the garnish, correct?

Thanks,

Zachary

I use an unaged one (at least not barrel aged). Depending on the Poire Williams, you need quite a lot of syrup. Using an aged one might be interesting to get some of the vanilla flavors from another source. I like the way the unaged version looks like a clear spirit on ice, though

Are Mozart Chocolate Bitters not available in the U.S.? They've become sort of a standard for Chocolate Bitters here in Germany, although I often find them too intense which makes them difficult to use.
I'll try to experiment with some other chocolate bitters to see what they can do.

I always use the twist to get some of the oils on the drink's surface. Most recipes for Poire belle Hélène that I've seen so far call for a little lemon and I think it works very well with the vanilla. I also put the twist in the glass as garnish whenever I don't have any candied violets at hand.

Cheers,

Anton