Parfait amour

[Snowy is dead]

Ok, so I have a bottle by Marie Brizzard. I think it is delicious, albeit sweet. Shame about making every cocktail I've tried it in look like dirty bath water.

I desperatley want to use this stuff. I did manage to make a "parfait margarita," but too much/little screws it all up. Too strong.

Any suggestions for this rather unique liquer?

Sean

[KatieLoeb]

Ok, so I have a bottle by Marie Brizzard.  I think it is delicious, albeit sweet.  Shame about making every cocktail I've tried it in look like dirty bath water. 

I desperatley want to use this stuff.  I did manage to make a "parfait margarita," but too much/little screws it all up.  Too strong.

Any suggestions for this rather unique liquer?

Sean

←

Try these two:

Orange Creamsicle

1.5 oz. Vanilla Vodka

1.5 oz. Brizzard Parfait D’Amour

Half and Half

Shake and serve on the rocks with an orange twist

Philly Water Ice

2 oz. Lemon/Citron Vodka

1.5 oz. Brizzard Parfait D’Amour

Splash sour mix

Splash Sprite

Shake and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

[eje]

Hi Sean,

Welcome to eGullet.

Parfait Amour has never quite floated high enough on my wish list for me to purchase it.

I do know there is at least one cocktail in Ted Haigh's "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails". Its name slips my mind at this time. I've had good luck with most recipes I've tried from "Vintage Spirits...", so if I had to use some Parfait Amour, I'd give that recipe it a try. However, it does seem to me I remember reading a post from someone who said they had a hard time getting that particular cocktail to come out.

I don't know if you've come across the cocktaildb yet; but, it's a fine resource for cocktail recipes. If you search by ingredient with Parfait Amour you should come up with 17 or so things to try. Looking at the search results, the recipe in, "Vintage Spirits..." might have been the Jupiter.

-Erik

edit - I guess I should call you by your name since you signed your post.

Edited January 25, 2006 by eje (log)

[plattetude]

I do know there is at least one cocktail in Ted Haigh's "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails".  Its name slips my mind at this time.  I've had good luck with most recipes I've tried from "Vintage Spirits...", so if I had to use some Parfait Amour, I'd give that recipe it a try.  However, it does seem to me I remember reading a post from someone who said they had a hard time getting that particular cocktail to come out.

←

Indeed it is the Jupiter. I've tried it once or twice, but didn't have oranges handy to juice freshly and hence used carton OJ. Worked okay enough, but hasn't quite seemed to come together the way I'd hoped.

I'd done a bit of poking on cocktaildb.com when putting together my New Year's Eve cocktail list for inspiration on other uses for Parfait Amour, and gave Parfait Amour Cocktail a try. A bit on the sweet side, but made for an excellent after-dinner cocktail, I must say.

I'm definitely curious to hear other good uses for this liqueur....

Christopher

[Snowy is dead]

Thanks for the replys. I did indeed try the jupiter from vintage spirits. didn't come out the way I was looking for. The flavor is so nice, despite its sweetness, I'm convinced there is a concoction out there that will work wonders. I'm going to give that philly ice a try.

Oh, and don't worry about names. I'm not picky.

[KatieLoeb]

I'm going to give that philly ice a try.

It tastes just like a Philly water ice, if you know what that is. I think it's called an "Italian Ice" in other circles and is a refreshing summer dessert that's similar to sorbet that comes in various fruit flavors. Lemon is the most popular and the drink tastes just like one. It is a sweet "girlie" drink though.

[Snowy is dead]

the philly ice came out pretty delicious. not sure what you used for sour, so I tried lemon juice with a touch of sugar, then again without the sugar. First one came out sweeter, but better. going to try it with soda too, maybe sub a little lime for sprite, play a bit.

Tasty, thank you for the recipe.

Sean

[Dan Ryan]

Add a teaspoon / teaspoon and half to a standard sized Aviation. Try to cut down the amount of sugar syrup accordingly.

I've heard it said that the Aviation originally had a touch of violette, giving it a sky blue tinge (people with more diligence and less work piling up in front of them as they lurk on egullet for hours may care to verify this). The parfait amour does the same, and extends the flavour further. My favourite right now, along with the Sazerac.

Otherwise I've got a recipe or two of my own. Just not with me right now.

[M.X.Hassett]

I've heard it said that the Aviation originally had a touch of violette, giving it a sky blue tinge (people with more diligence and less work piling up in front of them as they lurk on egullet for hours may care to verify this).

←

That is what I have heard also creme de viollete, hence sky blue color, hence aviation.

[M.X.Hassett]

As always Dave clears it up:

........While you're at it, you might ask him if he's snagged any creme de violette: according to Hugo Ensslin's 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks, which has the earliest formula for the drink I've been able to find, that went into the Aviation along with the maraschino, lemon juice and gin (I use a teaspoon of each liqueur, half an ounce of strained lemon juice and two ounces of gin). It gives the drink a pale, skyish blue color--which explains its name. ......

from THIS post.

[trillium]

Add a teaspoon / teaspoon and half to a standard sized Aviation. Try to cut down the amount of sugar syrup accordingly.

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Huh? Aviations are out there that use sugar syrup?

I bought a bottle of this stuff just to make the Jupiter out of Vintage Cocktails (because I have liked everything else I've tried out of the book) and was just cursing the fact that it is taking up space. I wasn't that crazy about the Jupiter, certainly not enough to use up a whole bottle's worth, so I'm loving this thread for ideas for using it up (except that I don't really have any flavored vodkas or sprite lying around!).

Because I regretted buying the bottle, last time I was in a place with decent booze stores I bought good french apricot liqueur, but I bought a little bottle of it and now I wish I'd bought a regular bottle. That stuff makes some nice cocktails. I'd give up my Parfait and my Creme de menthe for a big bottle of it, but not the Creme de cacao!

regards,

trillium

[KatieLoeb]

the philly ice came out pretty delicious.  not sure what you used for sour, so I tried lemon juice with a touch of sugar, then again without the sugar.  First one came out sweeter, but better.    going to try it with soda too, maybe sub a little lime for sprite, play a bit. 

Tasty, thank you for the recipe.

Sean

←

Sean:

Glad you enjoyed it. It's my pleasure to share some of the more obscure things I've put together over the years.

We had sour mix that was basically what you used - fresh lemon juice cut with sugar, so it probably came out pretty close to my original if that's how you did it.

As for Creme de Violette, I'm having a hell of a time finding it. For a hot second I thought Fee Brothers had a Violet Cordial syrup, but it was an old list. They don't carry it anymore.

I think I'm going to have to do more floral tea infusions to get my floral flavors.

Edited to add:

I see that Monin makes some floral syrups, including Violet, Rose, Jasmine and Lavender. Any one have any experience with these? I'm going to call and see if I can snag some samples from the company. They do make a 10 bottle sampler pack but most of the flavors are what I'd consider coffee flavors and not something I could adapt into cocktails, or there's a liqueur that comes in that flavor that would be more appropriate than a syrup.

[Snowy is dead]

I added about a quarter once of parfait to the avaiation, didn't notice much of a change, still had that opaque color, but no blue. Flavor was only mildly different, the marachino (I'm using stock) was still the dominant next to the gin. I'm a little leary of using more parfait, for fear of ruining the nice lemon/gin bite it has.

Maybe just some food coloring, eh

[KatieLoeb]

I added about a quarter once of parfait to the avaiation, didn't notice much of a change, still had that opaque color, but no blue.  Flavor was only mildly different, the marachino (I'm using stock) was still the dominant next to the gin.  I'm a little leary of using more parfait, for fear of ruining the nice lemon/gin bite it has.

Maybe just some food coloring, eh 

←

I'm afraid that even one drop of blue food coloring will turn everything that horrid Windex hue that Blue Curacao does.

[plattetude]

Had a bit of an inspiration the other night to give my bottle of Parfait Amour some use -- why not pair it with a tiny splash of Campari?

Herewith,

The Lavender Hammer (okay, maybe the name needs work)

2 oz Plymouth gin

1/2 oz Parfait Amour

1/4 oz Campari

Add ice and stir. Serve in chilled cocktail glass.

It's the most sublime shade of pale lavender, between the faint blue of the Parfait Amour and the brilliant red of the Campari. Sweet, yes, but kept in check by the Campari.

I think it's a keeper!

Christopher

[phlip]

try a martinez with parfait amour instead of maraschino

2 gin

1 sweet vermouth

quarter parfait amour

dash angustora

pleases me

[Rob Simmon]

The Lavender Hammer (okay, maybe the name needs work)

2 oz Plymouth gin

1/2 oz Parfait Amour

1/4 oz Campari

Add ice and stir.  Serve in chilled cocktail glass.

Quite nice, but maybe reduce the Campari to a teaspoon? It dominates at 1/4 oz. Great color!

[plattetude]

It may well have been closer to a tsp, maybe two, that I used -- I was mixing on the fly and when I make it again will work more to match the color than the ratios specified... Just enough to make the Campari announce its presence boldly but still play well with the Parfait Amour and give it that beautiful jewel-toned hue.

Which brings me to the revised name I came up with -- the Amethyst.

Christopher

Edited March 17, 2006 by plattetude (log)

[mixtress]

Indeed it is the Jupiter.  I've tried it once or twice, but didn't have oranges handy to juice freshly and hence used carton OJ.  Worked okay enough, but hasn't quite seemed to come together the way I'd hoped.

←

I have been working on a version of the Jupiter for my new spring menu. After many different variations, this was the winner with my staff:

The Jupiter Cocktail

1 1/2 Millers 90 proof Gin

1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

1/2 oz Orange Juice

1/4 oz Parfait Amour

The Millers Gin really blended beautifully with the Parfait Amour. It was by far the smoothest.

[bpeikes]

I'm a big fan of Parfait amour in champagne. At most a teaspoon, garnish with an orange twist. I've worked with it a bit and it's hard to balance. Sort of like Maraschino in that I find it very difficult to mix without it overwhelming the cocktail.

I find that the Parfait Amour works with almost any gin based cocktail.