Creme Yvette

Yhay! Spring Cocktails are here!!

With breathless anticipation, the cocktail literati have awaited the arrival of this violet lady, Creme Yvette. A must for certain classic cocktails such as the Blue Moon and the Aviation, this purple liquor similar to Creme de Violette was lost to time and neglect. But Ron Cooper, who recently celebrated 3 years of St Germain success, has resurrected this brand in a classic old fashioned bottle. His family has owned the rights to this recipe for years, but it fell out of favor and was discontinued in 1969.


No more! I got my hands on a the lady Yvette today at a tasting at Astor Wines and immediately popped it open to mix with some Luna Sueno tequila.








I tweeked a recipe created by myself and Jake Sher from Beekman Bar and Books. Jake originally made it with Monin Violet syrup, Luna Sueno Blanco and chocolate mole bitters. The flora notes of the blanco made for a lovely spring-like pairing with the violet and the chocolate rounds it out nicely.

I tried it later with some Creme de Violette, but I really like it with our lovely lady Yvette. The violet flavor is lighter and there are nice round berry and even some vanilla notes and its a strong proof, but still sweet and smooth. Quite lovely. I christened this drink the Violet Beauregarde after the character in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

To celebrate my new beautiful bottle and the lovely Ms. Beauregarde, Reid and I got all dolled up in our best for "smaltzing" around the house and then watched the season premiere of Web Soup.

We are so FABulous! Johnny Weir would be proud!

The Violet Beauregarde
By Jake Sher & Abigail Gullo

2 oz Luna Sueno Blanco
1 1/4 oz Creme Yvette
healthy dash of fresh squeezed Lime juice
3 dashes of Mole Chocolate Bitters

The Happiest of Hours

Ask not for whom happy hour tolls...

It is hard to be on Smith Street in Brooklyn these days and not get pulled into one of my favorite haunts. Renee at Zombie Hut served be the first hot cider of the season yesterday warming my blustery wind tossed soul.

And of course no visit to Brooklyn would be complete without a stop in at The Clover Club. They are moving the staff up there quickly. My bartender was in training the last time I was in, but he knew the drinks and shakes them like a pro now. They still had their summer menu out, and although I was disappointed not to try some fall cocktails, this was assuaged by the fact that the specials were almost half off. That right...a Happy Hour at the Clover Club! Hot damn, that means I can have two! And maybe have some chips fried in duck fat with truffles and just break a twenty!

Since it seemed like a recession special, I decided to take a recession vacation during happy hour. I started with the Roman Holiday; a refreshing collaboration of gin, Aperol, St Germain, Riesling, lemon and soda, served on the rocks in a big thin white wine glass. The grapefruit peel and the grapefruit notes in the Aperol counteracted the sweetness of the St Germain and wine perfectly. I tried imagining myself under Roman skies in a lovely outdoor cafe be romanced by Gregory Peck, but the Riesling just made me think of Gregory Peck from the Boys in Brazil. Ok. Maybe I should be in Bavaria, being romanced by a handsome German prince instead.... Ja, wunderbar.

Next I went to Cuba for a Hemingway Daiquiri. The theme here is the fresh grapefruit. Rum, maraschino liquor, lime, grapefruit and sugar. So simple and yet so delicious.

Two cocktails later (I skipped the chips so I could be a bigger tipper...recession, you know) I was happy! Its a recession miracle! And I was ready to Mambo out of there.

Johnny Castle? Where are you? Baby needs to Mambo!

Katy's Cuzco Cooler

Last night to celebrate my dear friend Katy's birthday (belated), we settled down with some take out Chinese and watched our darling Mets go through their regular late season histrionics. Naturally we needed something to help calm our nerves and possibly deaden any pain we might soon be feeling. So I chose to make a light, refreshing and sparkling Cuzco Cooler. I thought the South American Pisco would appeal to Katy's Columbian soul. And I wanted to feature the lovely St Germain, which was her present.

The cocktails were good, and the Mets game better, although quite stressful. "Whew!", said Katy "I feel like I just gave birth!" Happy, excited, exhausted and glad its finally over...yep that's a September Mets game!

Katy's Cuzco Cooler
Pisco
St Germain
Fresh Lime juice
Orange Bitters
Green Grapes
Club Soda

Muddle grapes in a cocktail shaker with bitters and lime. Add ice, 2 parts pisco and 1 part St Germain and shake well. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and sliced grapes.

Mexican Summer

We finally had an August day here in NYC...September 14th. To celebrate this last burst of Mexican summer I made a perfect Margarita. I only wish I was sippin' it by the sea, Mamacita! And I like my Margarita's like my relationships end up...on the Rocks. No worries though, this one takes the pain away. Thanks to Inked Magazine for the tequila!





Tattooed Margarita
1800 Tequila
Triple Sec
St Germain Liquor
Lime Juice
Agave Syrup

Pour ingredients over rocks, shake well and pour into large pint glass. Think of Frida and Diego and let the pain fade into memories of the beauty. Like getting a tattoo, hopefully the beauty will stay when the hurt drifts away.