Long gone are the days when bartenders would only opt to use lemon or olives as garnishes for their cocktails.
Travel to many of the bars throughout America’s major cities, you’re bound to find some unique twists, and that includes in Philadelphia, writes Leila Najafi for USA Today.
At Andra Hem, a chic Scandinavian-inspired cocktail bar in Center City West near Rittenhouse Square, it would be worth trying the Pear Jordan.
The drink’s name is an homage to Michael Jordan.
It’s made with tequila, pear puree, lemon juice, pear, ginger syrup, and amaro liqueur.
But that’s not all.
“We shake all the ingredients and strain onto fresh ice,” said Andra Hem bar manager Patrick Jennings. “We garnish ours with a pear and blackberry fruit leather, cut to the likeness of an Air Jordan emblem, just a little fun and pun.”
That added feature brings another layer of fun to the drinks.
Furthermore, these unique garnishes help bartenders blur the lines between the art and science of creating drinks.
Read more about the bars throughout the country that are reshaping their drinks through their garnishes at USA Today.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA.Today in July 2025.
