Episode 187: Neil Ferguson and Lisa Carrington
Nov 03, 2021
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Pears may be a type of fruit not thought of in your daily consumption, but it should be. With a sweet, but not overwhelming, flavor, pears are a healthy addition to any recipe whether it be cooked, baked, or even mixed into your favorite cocktail.
87% of commercial pears in the United States are grown in Oregon and Washington by simple, family farms. These farms are represented by USA Pears, the brand of non-profit marketing organization promoting pears grown in the Pacific Northwest. Neil Ferguson, Creative Marketing Manager at USA Pears, expresses that the pear is such a versatile fruit while being an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C with only 100 calories per serving. Their nutritional benefits also include potassium, iron, and calcium while being sodium, cholesterol and fat free.
With its versatility and over 400 recipes available on the USA Pears website, there’s bound to be a way that consumers can tie pears into their meals, or even their drinks.
Lisa Carrington, aka The Cocktail Maven, has a close relationship with pears not only in her drinks but in her personal life. Growing up on a farm in Washington, her parents grew pears and still do to this day. Living the “farm life” Lisa and her family always found different ways to eat the pears that they grew. Though cooking was her first artistic outlet of pears, Lisa says it was a natural evolution to cocktail making.
“[In 2007] In America we had a bit of an awakening. We were starting to think about what we were drinking and where those drinks came from. Distilleries popped up all over and they were familie distilleries just like family farms.” – Lisa Carrington (09:22 – 09:33)
As people began to care more about what was in their drinks, cocktail makers began shifting from processed ingredients to fresh ingredients.
This created the perfect landscape for Lisa to begin experimenting with pears in her drinks and turn her self education of cocktail making into a huge passion. Thanks to her personal relationship with them, and their added qualities and benefits, Lisa assures that the pear is her favorite ingredient to use in her cocktails.
Lisa states that the versatility of pears makes it match well with almost any ingredient and liquor of choice. With a mild flavor, pears do not overtake the drink itself, merely complimenting other ingredients making it a perfect cocktail addition. As to not be overwhelming, pears can elevate a drink to the next level, making you feel a bit fancier, without the leg work.
As pear season is in the fall, Lisa says that some of the best drinks to include pears are those with spices, even putting pumpkin spice to shame.
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