Out in Orbit, the Jupiter Cocktail

Posted by TraderTiki on August 3rd, 2007 — Posted in Gin

There was a post about this, that or the other… oh yes, the obscure ingredient Parfait Amour. Well, having had an unopened bottle on my shelf for quite some time, I finally felt inspired after reading through this archived post on Cocktail Chronicles.

And so, finally hearing the satisfying snap of a newly opened bottle, the Parfait Amour was poured, and yee heavens what came out. A nice soft unfermented, very sweet grape flavor. Which, strangely enough I had no expectation of considering the bright purple coloring of the liqueur. The orange juice fresh, the gin Seagram’s Dry, and the Vermouth D’aquino Dry. The vermouth is from Trader Joe’s. It was super cheap, and Trader Joe’s usually stocks some high quality stuff. As a vermouth, it’s fine, but I’m no expert in those flavors.

So, onto the cocktail! As it sits in my hand, then down my gullet, the orange and grape interplay in a very interesting manner. Using fresh squeezed orange juice can tend to impart a bit more orange-water than strong orange flavoring, so it’s nice that all the sharp notes took a backseat to let each other play around. It’s light, refreshing, and lightly complex, with the Vermouth and Gin in a “battle of the flowers” as it passes across the tongue. It’s a very nice, well made cocktail, albeit the color is, as I was warned, a bit grey. This is no matter, really, but a bit of flourish in the cocktail is part of the experience. I went with a purple umbrella for garnish to try and bring out the purple in the drink, but it does appear a bit washed out.

Now, please understand I make no insistence that I have any more knowledge than any other cocktailian, mixologist, or booze slinger out there. But here’s a tid bit I was taught in both bar tending school, and by masters of the art. Before mixing a cocktail, throw some ice in the glass you will be straining into. It helps cool the glass, keep the cocktail cool longer, and adds the much desired beads of condensation, which make the drink look that much more appealing. This pretty much specifically applies to cocktail glasses, as given their wide mouth, are prone to loosing their cool pretty rapidly. Just make sure you throw the ice out before you strain.

And yes, yes.. the Tiki Kon wrapup. Coming shortly. I’ll leave out all the miscellany and just keep to the booze. Slinging for 60 people at your home bar can tend to wear you down a bit.