Pear Liqueurs can be either actually distilled from fermented pears, or can be made by steeping crushed pears in brandy. The aroma is often more like pear than the taste is.
Some are thick and syrupy; some are thin but sweet, more like an “eau-de-vie.”
Many include a pear right in the bottle for dramatic appearance. Preparation for this has to start right at the beginning of the pear-growing season. As soon as the blossoms are pollinated, bottles are affixed to the branches over them so that the pears will grow inside the bottles.
Brand names include Bertrand, Combier, Coeur de Lion Pear Prisionière, Poire William (made by people such as Danflou G E Massenez), and , Maraska Kroskovac, Marie Brizard, Pear de Pear, and Pera Segnana.
Some people also make their own.
Alsace in France is a centre of Pear Liqueur production.