Pear Thyme Mocktail

If you’re searching for the perfect fall-inspired beverage, look no further than this pear thyme mocktail recipe. Bursting with the natural sweetness of pears, a zesty hint of lemon, and a unique addition of fresh thyme, this delightful mocktail was made to capture the essence of autumn.

Scott and I are currently doing the 75Hard program, and one of the tenets is not to drink alcohol. We are on day 45 and loving it! However, I still love crafting special drinks to sip on as we wind down at night, and this pear thyme mocktail was my recent creation to fill the void of an evening sipper as we decompress for the day.

Pears are a quintessential fall fruit. Plus, pear juice is packed with vitamins and antioxidants that are great for your health. Their natural sweetness and subtle flavors make them a perfect choice for creating an autumn drink. For this mocktail, I opted to use bottled pear juice instead of making it from scratch. Just make sure you purchase *actual* pear juice and not a blend of grape or apple juice! I went with R.W. Knudsen’s Organic Pear Juice, which I got from my local Whole Foods Market. Alternatively, you could make your own by blending or juicing fresh pears.

Of course, I want to avoid making a too-sweet drink! Considering that pear juice can lean on the sweeter side, I opted to add fresh lemon juice, topped with refreshing sparkling water. I make sparkling water with my soda stream and give it extra bubbles at home. You can choose to buy a bottle of club soda for this instead. But I will say that the soda stream is one of my absolute favorite kitchen gadgets and has been used multiple times daily since we purchased it 12 years ago. I highly recommend it!

Preparation:

This is a very simple drink to make. We are basically combining the liquids except for the sparkling water, imparting the flavors of maple, spices, and thyme, and then finally topping off with bubbly water. This is so that we can preserve the carbonation while muddling the thyme and stirring it all together. I also added a cinnamon sugar rim because it’s fun and cute and adds a little extra dose of the lovely autumn flavors of brown sugar and cinnamon.

If you prefer to make this with alcohol, I recommend adding 1.5 oz of a good bourbon like Basil Hayden’s. It has flavors of white pepper, orange peel, lemon, and sweet caramel with a finish of cinnamon and light vanilla oakiness. But this pear thyme mocktail has no need for alcohol! It’s perfectly delicious and decadent without it.

I hope your fall season is off to a great start! I’m definitely looking forward to sharing some amazing autumn recipes with you over the next few months!