Which pears can replace Peckham pears in liqueur recipes?

Expanded Explanation

Good replacements for Peckham pears include Conference, Williams, Bartlett, Comice and Packham pears, depending on the flavor direction wanted. Conference pears are widely available and give a clean, lightly sweet pear note. Williams or Bartlett pears are more aromatic and can produce a brighter, more obvious pear fragrance. Comice pears are soft, juicy and rich, making them useful when a rounder dessert-like liqueur is desired.

When substituting, ripeness matters more than variety name. A pear that is fragrant, ripe and firm will usually make a better liqueur than a famous variety that is underripe, dry or mealy. Avoid fruit that is bruised, fermented, mouldy or overly soft, because damaged pears can introduce dull aromas and make the infusion harder to filter. If the substitute pear is very juicy, filtration may take longer.

The recipe may need small adjustments after substitution. More aromatic pears can handle slightly stronger spices, while very mild pears need a lighter hand with cinnamon, clove, ginger and citrus. Sweeter pears may require less added sugar or honey. A small tasting after maceration is the best guide, because pear varieties vary greatly in sweetness, acidity and aroma.