by Laurie Zerga


WHILE TAKING A CLASS EARLIER THIS YEAR with the Community of Harbor Bay Isle Cooking Club, I was introduced to a delightful eau de vie by Kate Hill, a cooking instructor from Southwestern France. The meal we prepared began and ended with Poire Williams, a pear brandy that we first sampled as an aperitif, mixed with a Spanish sparkling wine, and later in a pear and chocolate tart.
As luck would have it, St. George Spirits (2601 Monarch St., 510-769-1601) here in Alameda makes Aqua Perfecta brand pear brandy. Lance Winters, distiller at St. George Spirits, says Poire Williams is often used by the French in cocktails or aperitifs and as a cooking liqueur. One of Winters' favorite cocktails is the Tony Martini, invented by a bartender at Eccolo (1820 Fourth St., 510-644-0444) in Berkeley, which consists of three parts vodka and one part Poire Williams with a simple syrup.
If you're interested in making yourself a refreshing afternoon beverage, combine 21/2 ounces of dry sparkling wine with 1/4 ounce pear brandy, then float a small wedge of pear fruit in the glass. You can find good Spanish wines at Farmstead Cheeses and Wines (1650 Park St., 510-864-9463) where owner Jeff Diamond suggests Privat Laieta Cava ($28) or Cristalino Brut Vintage Cava ($14). The recipe for the pear and chocolate tart can be found in Hill's cookbook, A Culinary Journey in Gascony (Ten Speed Press). Bon appetit!