The Margini

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to create a drink called the Margini. I wanted it to be purple, and I wanted to like it. The problem with purple is that it usually requires red and blue, and using food coloring, to me, is cheating. The only blue ingredient I could think of was Blue Curaçao, but I figured you'd have to mix it with Grenadine (red) to get purple, and that sounded too sweet already.

Then one day my brother said he read an article about some unusual spirits. He thought I'd be interested in Strega (Italian for "witch") or Parfait Amour, which is purple. Unfortunately, in North Carolina, one must purchase liquor at State-run ABC stores, which don't typically cater to unusual interests. Fortunately, I like to travel, and I found a bottle of Marie Brizard Parfait Amour at a liquor store in Banff, Alberta.

Marie Brizard Parfait Amour is a liqueur that is purple in color but tastes like orange - with maybe a hint of vanilla or violet. I find that it can be used in place of Triple Sec or Blue Curaçao. I believe there are other brands of Parfait Amour out there which may have a different flavor, but I haven't come across them, so I don't know if they would work as well.

My first couple of attempts to create a Margini were a bit too sweet, but I finally perfected it with this recipe, which is based on my brother's Cosmo recipe (only instead of Triple Sec, the Margini has Parfait Amour).

The Margini

1 1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz Marie Brizard Parfait Amour
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (about half a lime)
Splash of cranberry juice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Serve with a small twist of lime rind.

This was my first potion.