ISO Lavender Martini Recipe

[JimInLoganSquare]

I'm looking for help duplicating the lavender martini served in the Redwood Room of the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. During a stay there a few months ago, this became a favorite of my wife's; and I've yet to find any place here in Chicago that does one. So, maybe I can concoct my own?

[beans]

What does it taste like?

Here's a version of a lavender cocktail and chances are if it is purple it may be using Parfait Amour -- a product of both Bols and Marie Brizzard. (However the Bols may not be imported to the US.... William Grant & Sons, I think, are the sole importers of Bols products but not including the Parfait Amour product for unknown reasons).

Take a gander at this from the Evolving Cocktails, part II: (and also in the Cocktails section of the eGRA)

Lavender Orchid Cosmopolitan

Consider opting for white cranberry juice to help retain the pretty purple color.

1 1/2 ounces Absolut Citron (or Mandarin works too)

1/2 ounce Bols Parfait Amour

Dash of Lime Juice

Splash of Cranberry Juice

Chill cocktail glass with ice water. Combine vodka, Parfait Amour, lime and cranberry juices in an ice filled shaker. Shake. Discard ice water, shake out excess, rim the cocktail glass with violet colored sugar. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a floating edible orchid.

Pictured, and sadly out of focus:

WHITE cranberry!! (the pic is of one that was made with RED cran Someone [meaning moi doh!] forgot to pick up the white cran!!! )

I hope some of this helps.

[KatieLoeb]

Jim:

Are we talking lavender flavored or lavender colored??

Lavender flavored would have to be some sort of house made lavender infused vodka.

Lavender colored could be achieved by using the Parfait d'Amour, as Beans suggested, or using just a bit of Blue Curacao rather than the standard triple sec and the usual splash of RED cranberry juice. About five drops of Blue Curacao can turn anything into a Windex lookalike so you have to be judicious with it, but properly applied should turn a standard issue cosmo from slightly pink to Lavender.

[beans]

Ah hah!

My clever resources (aka, my San Fran bartending buddies ) have told me that it is merely vodka and Parfait Amour that makes the Lavender Martini at the Redwood Room.

Which vodka? Not sure, but isn't that the fun part figuring that out and taste testing?

Curious about this stuff of perfect love? (just in time for Valentine's Day)

Bols created this liqueur many centuries ago and there are countless stories of lovers' quarrels, which dissolved into smiles under the influence of this liqueur. Translated into English the name means 'Perfect Love'. The aromas and flavours are obtained from Curaçao orange peel, vanilla pods, almonds and rose petals.

*******

Flavour

A delicate, soft and gentle combination of rose petals and orange with a

subtle hint of vanilla.

Bols Parfait Amour

For Marie Brizzard's Parfait Amour: Sorry, this is deep linked and I can't fix it other than to give you directions:

Go to http://www.bevmo.com

Select "Spirits"

Select "Liqueurs"

Select "M" and scroll (I think it is on the second page of M's) until you find Marie Brizzard products, then you will locate their Parfait Amour, click on that and you will see the purple bottle of spiritous goodness.

Cheers!

edit: links

Edited February 8, 2004 by beans (log)

[JimInLoganSquare]

Wow, that was one fast-acting response! I'd say the vodka plus parfait amour is probably right, as this was not an unsubtle-looking drink (just barely tinted). It also has a big, honking lavender bud floating in it. I'll experiment a bit and see if I can get it right; thanks!

[beans]

Jim:

Purple is one of my favourite colours so when I see any of its variations listed, it tends to grab my attention. Especially when it has to do with cocktails!

Edit to add: You are very welcome! Cheers!

(yes, I'm enjoying a glass of wine as I type this, so consistently, I've typoed each of my posts this evening!!!! )

Edited February 8, 2004 by beans (log)

[JimInLoganSquare]

(yes, I'm enjoying a glass of wine as I type this, so consistently, I've typoed each of my posts this evening!!!! )

So who isn't enjoying a glass of wine while typing here!

[hillvalley]

Is Bols hard to find? Their web site only lists one distributor in the US. I've never heard of it.

Glass of Chianti here

Edited cause of the Chianty

Edited February 8, 2004 by hillvalley (log)

[beans]

William Grant & Sons doesn't import the Bols Parfait Amour, for reasons unknown. I've emailed and spoken with some of their staff last Fall in order to track down a local distributor (Paramount in Cleveland) for the Bols Pumpkin Smash (we do not use Bols products) and out of curiosity asked about the Parfait Amour. I really didn't get a firm answer. Oh well.

However a really old hole in the wall bar I love to visit has a dusty old bottle of the stuff which I sniffed, tasted and used for the Lavender Orchid cocktail for eGCI. Unaffected by age, it certainly was drinkable.

Marie Brizard's is the same stuff, different brand, but a special request to the liquor store of your choice may be the only route. Most "well" liqueurs (Bols, DeKyper, Leroux, etc.) are pretty much the same overall, so I doubt that there are any discernible differences between the two brands.

[JimInLoganSquare]

Sam's here in Chicago has Marie Brizzard's parfait amour; of course, they have every other goddaammed thing, so it should've been no surprise. Good luck to the rest of America!

[swingers]

Lavender mix recipe

15 oz of lime juice

15 oz of lemon juice

20 oz of white sugar

4 teaspoon of lavender flowers

Put in a pan and let boil 2 minutes than removed from fire and let infused 5 minutes.

Blend until smooth and strain in a bottle. Keep in fridge

Provence Lavender'tini from LE MARKET (Paris)

2 oz of Grey Goose Le Citron

3 oz of lavender mix

1 splash of Perrier