Pear Drops have a reputation as one of the sharper, more "chemical" tasting boiled sweets on a sweet shop shelf — and that reputation is accurate, because the flavour isn't really pear at all. That gap between the name and the actual taste is exactly why people go looking for an explanation.
A Victorian-era boiled sweet
Pear Drops belong to the same family of hard-boiled "acid" sweets as Acid Drops and Barley Sugar, a category that goes back to Victorian sweet-making, when boiling sugar with fruit essences and a touch of tartaric acid was one of the few ways to create a sharp, fruit-like flavour before modern flavourings existed.
Why they don't really taste like pears
The characteristic Pear Drop flavour comes largely from amyl acetate, an ester that smells and tastes like a cross between pear and banana — and which is also used, in a different grade, in things like nail varnish remover and model aeroplane glue. It's a genuinely well-known bit of sweet trivia, and it's the reason Pear Drops have a slightly sharper, more "solvent-adjacent" aroma than an actual pear.
What we actually stock right now
Both of our Pear Drops lines are in stock now: Kingsway Large Pear Drops 3kg and Dobsons Pear Drops Jar 2.72kg.
FAQ
What flavour are Pear Drops actually?
Mostly amyl acetate, an ester that tastes like a cross between pear and banana, rather than real pear extract.
Are Pear Drops the same as Acid Drops?
They're closely related — both are hard-boiled Victorian-era sweets flavoured with fruit esters and a touch of acid — but Acid Drops are usually lemon-flavoured and a single colour, while Pear Drops are pear-shaped and typically two-toned.
Does Supreme Sweets stock Pear Drops?
Yes, both our Kingsway and Dobsons Pear Drops lines are in stock now.
Are Pear Drops vegetarian?
Most traditional Pear Drops recipes are, since they're built from sugar, glucose and flavouring rather than gelatine, though it's always worth checking the specific product's ingredients.