Partridge in a Pear Tree Christmas Mocktail

This is a rich and fragrant Christmas mocktail that celebrates the holiday season with a festive, warm, spiced pear flavor. It draws inspiration from the very first, foundational line of the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” classic holiday song. Since the “partridge in the pear tree” is the line that you sing over and over again and the most universally recognizable in the song, we made our Partridge in a Pear Tree the Christmas mocktail that anyone can enjoy.

So, Why in the World is Your True Love Giving You a Partridge in a Pear Tree?

There’s some dispute over what the origin of the “partridge in a pear tree” line is. Partridges are fiercely defensive of their babies, including a willingness to sacrifice their own lives to fend off predators. So, the Roman Catholic Church used the partridge as a symbol for Jesus’s sacrifice. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” has been alleged to be a mnemonic device to help children remember elements of the Catholic faith during a time when practicing Catholicism openly was restricted in some Protestant countries, with each gift in the song representing a specific religious concept. The pear tree symbolizes the cross. However, there is one other interpretation. Some scholars believe that the song was originally in French, and “a partridge in a pear tree” line is a mispronunciation of the French word for partridge: une perdrix.  Our Christmas mocktail includes neither elements of the Catholic catechism nor enough alcohol to improve your French, but Katrina Tomacchio’s of Loaded Food Group‘s recipe is a surefire crowd-pleaser this year.

Partridge in a Pear Tree Christmas Mocktail

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• Author: Katrina Tomacchio

Print Recipe

Description

Mocktail maven Katrina Tomacchio of Loaded Food Group brings us a Christmas drink anyone can enjoy, alcohol or not.

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Ingredients

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For the cocktail:

• 2 oz Knudsen Pear Juice
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Vanilla Simple Syrup
• 1.5 oz Ritual Zero Proof Dark Rum Alternative (non alcoholic)
• 1.5 oz Jackworth Non-Alcoholic Ginger Beer (or ginger beer of your choice)
• Vanilla simple syrup (See below)

For the vanilla simple syrup:

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

For the cocktail:

1. Shake with ice and pour into a 6 oz glass
2. Garnish with sliced pear and a cinnamon stick

For the vanilla simple syrup:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small sauce pan and cook over medium flame until sugar is entirely dissolved.

Check out the rest of our “Twelve Days of Christmas” cocktails or make the whole set!

Recipe by Katrina Tomacchio of Loaded Food Group
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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