Sunday, May 25, 2008
Food, Wine, Beer & Spirits, Recipes
The Holy Grail of cocktailing
Crème de Violette returns
Crème de Violette
Courtesy of Haus Alpenz
MAN OF COLOR: ROY G. BIV
In that famous mnemonic for deciphering a rainbow, V stands for the final and deepest tone, but besides the impossible color, CdV features an elegantly fresh and restrained floral nose that isn’t cloying or prom date corsage–overpowering. It plays particularly nicely with gin, but CdV is not to be confused with Parfait Amour, a more purple spirit made from lemon, coriander, rose and vanilla. The Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette is produced from Queen Charlotte anemones and March Violets found in the Alps that are macerated in Weinbrand (distilled from grapes), with cane sugar added for sweetness. The Blue Moon is an icy-toned drink that forsakes Blue Curaçao’s synthetic color in favor of silvery blue hues reminiscent of lunar maria. In this case, the drink’s foggy translucence calls to mind the mare nubium, or “sea of clouds,” (aka the “mouth” of the “man in the moon”).
Blue Moon
- 2 ounces dry gin
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce Crème de Violette
Shake with ice, and strain.
Aviation
- 1½ ounce dry gin
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce Crème de Violette
- 1 teaspoon maraschino
Stir with ice, and strain.
Attention
- 2 ounces dry gin
- ¼ ounce Crème de Violette
- ¼ ounce Pastis or Absinthe
- ¼ ounce dry vermouth
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Shake with ice, and strain.
Violette Royale
- 4 ounces brut champagne
- ½ ounce Crème de Violette
Available through www.alpenz.com or locally at Tower, Green's, Fairway Package, Beleza, Ecco, Holeman & Finch, Halo, Murphy's, Sotto Sotto, Rathbun's, Two Urban Licks, Pearl, Chocolate Bar, Tap, Across the Street, Top Floor and Mansion on Peachtree.By Jason Tesauro and Phineas Mollod
Thumb through vintage bartending guides, and you’ll stumble upon Batvia Arrack, Crème Yvette and Hercules. Yet, ever since locating an overseas source of Chartreuse Elixir Végétal, Crème de Violette has topped these authors’ wishlist. Then, while visiting Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, Phineas popped into LeNell’s Wine & Spirits Boutique and at last spotted a bottle of the stunning, amethyst-colored stuff. As it turns out, Minnesota-based importer Eric Seed and his company, Haus Alpenz, are sniffing out obscure liquors from the likes of Indonesia, Austria, and Jamaica. Thanks to Seed, we can flush our blue curaçao down the loo and stir up cocktails with true colors. Advocates of ambitious spirits and adventurous flavors, Haus Alpenz’s credo says it all: “To preserve and enhance the appreciation of distinctive and authentic tastes.”
Seed is a spirits’ preservationist, saving from extinction many endangered tinctures. The Haus Alpenz portfolio reads like a who’s who of cocktail curiosities. We caught up with Seed via email for the skinny on such forgotten flavors as: Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur, Orchard Apricot Liqueur and Batvia Arrack van Oosten.
Q With the re-emergence of Crème de Violette, does Blue Curaçao have a place in the world?
A Blue curaçao may still be useful for its bitter orange flavor, though it begs the question whether one in their right mind would ever consume a blue orange.
Crème de Noyeau is still around, but how did we lose Violette, the prettiest girl at the dance?
Trade limitations and the Great Depression impacted the import of specialty spirits, many of which did not return in the post-war era. From a production standpoint, Crème de Noyeau is a wonderful by-product of your apricot orchard, whereas Violette is a luxury of the flower garden.
Which nearly defunct liquor is next to be resurrected?
We're now seeing the re-emergence of fine Rye and Bourbon. In fine dining, people are starting to rediscover eaux-de-vie brandy, realizing they get extraordinarily true flavor from the fruit distillate instead of 'flavored' raw alcohol and water (that's vodka).
Any liqueur you've been looking for but can't find?
As with specialty foods, few spirits are truly extinct, they just take great effort to find and market. No doubt, many reading this go to great lengths for a special meal or food ingredient. We learn about our world through the distinctive and authentic taste sensations out there. SP
Phineas and Jason are the authors of “The Modern Gentleman” and “The Modern Lover.” E-mail them at booze@sundaypaper.com.