Williams Pears: From French Tradition to the Pearisian Cocktail
ALAMERE SPIRITS
If you’ve ever wondered what makes a Williams pear different from the Bartlett pears at your local market, here’s a little surprise: they’re the same variety. In France, you’ll hear Williams. In the United States, Bartlett is the familiar name. At Alamere, that connection feels especially fitting for a spirit that brings French inspiration to our California distillery.
One pear with two names
The variety originated in England and became known as Williams after a nurseryman who helped introduce it more widely. After the trees reached Massachusetts, Enoch Bartlett began distributing the fruit under his own name, unaware it already had one. By the time the connection was recognized in 1828, Bartlett had stuck.
So a Williams pear isn’t an unfamiliar French fruit. It’s the aromatic, juicy pear many Americans already love fresh, in preserves, or in a favorite dessert.
Why French distillers love Williams pears
The appeal begins with aroma. Williams pears have a pronounced, unmistakably pear fragrance, making them a natural choice for distillers who want the fruit’s character to come through in the glass.
In France, particularly in Alsace, fruit spirits are part of an established distilling tradition. Poire Williams is a pear eau-de-vie: a spirit made by fermenting pears and then distilling them. The goal is to capture the fragrance and flavor of ripe fruit. Served as a digestif after a meal, it gives pear a place at the table well beyond dessert.
That combination of expressive fruit, regional craftsmanship, and an after-dinner ritual helps explain its lasting appeal. Williams pears also appear in French liqueurs, where sweetness creates a different way to enjoy the fruit.
Our take at Alamere
Our Williams Pear Vodka follows its own process. We peel and core the pears, then macerate and distill fruit at different stages of ripeness, from unripe to perfectly ripe and slightly overripe. That range captures both the pear’s bright freshness and its richer, softer character.
French distilling has a personal connection for us, too. Olivier grew up making cider and eau-de-vie with his grandfather in France. Our pear vodka brings that inspiration into a spirit made for a fresh pour or a cocktail like the Pearisian.
Mix a Pearisian
Pear takes the lead in this cocktail, with elderflower adding a floral note, lemon bringing brightness, and thyme giving it a subtle herbal finish.
Ingredients
1½ oz Alamere Williams Pear Vodka
1 oz pear purée
½ oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur
½ oz fresh lemon juice
1 small thyme sprig
Method
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then double-strain into a chilled coupe to remove the thyme leaves and any coarse pulp. Garnish with a thin pear slice or a fresh thyme sprig, if you like.
A little French inspiration, a California spirit, and a pear you already know and love.
