Sunday, December 9, 2007

Amore-a-rita


Amore-a-rita
Originally uploaded by chipandandy
I think I spend too much time at my local liquor store.....

The night manager of my local liquor store 'gets' things for me. When he finds something interesting, or odd, or generally not something everyone else is asking about, he sets one aside for me. It makes me feel important as much as it makes me realize how much time and effort (and money) I have invested in my home bar.

But, putting aside the fact that I am a lush, sometimes it pays to have someone like the night manager watching out for me. Case in point....

Parfait Amore

The flavor is most unique, and if you follow the link you will be even more intrigued if you have never sampled this particular ingredient. The bottles has a picture of oranges, the color is something akin to grape-jelly, and the aroma is something you would want to wear as a perfume. And don't let any of that stop you from adding a bottle of this to your bar. Trust me.

Well, I got a bottle. And I started digging through my meager library, then started asking the Internet since it knows everything, and came up with a few recipes that called for Parfait Amore. But, I wanted something more. Something that would really showcase the unique flavors and aroma. But what to use....

Gin is the obvious choice since most of the recipes I found were Gin based. Plymouth worked well, Hendrick's not so much. Gordons, Bombay, I was running out of options. So, being the Rum fan that I am I started playing with the Rums, and nothing was quite hitting the mark I was hoping for.

OK, time to call in reinforcements....

I have two friends nearby whose skills behind the bar I trust and whose taste in liquor I appreciate. Lets see what they come up with. After trying a few things, Loki over at The Modern Day Hobbit says "What about Tequila?"

Hmmmmm..... I am not generally a Tequila fan, and the Wahine starts to gag at the mere mention of it. But, I do have a bottle of some Milagro Silver on the bar. The wahine says it is for cooking purposes only, but sometimes a margarita is just the thing you need after a long day.

And speaking of Margarita.... What better way to test this theory than a Margarita. It is a simple drink, a 1-2-3 drink that should show off the Parfait Amore, that is if it plays well with the Tequila and lime. Well, one measure of fresh lime, two of Parfait Amore, three of Milagro Silver, some abuse in the shaker with ice, and....

In a word, DAYUM!

OK, that is not really a word, but it is what we all said when we got our first taste. The fresh lime is, of course, fresh and lively. The Silver Tequila is wonderfully smooth and tasty, and the two play very well with the Parfait Amore. The lime brings out all of the floral bits on the nose and the Tequila brings out and complements all of the stronger flavors on the tongue.

This is what I was looking for!

The color is an intriguing Blue-grey and doesn't show well on the camera. I tried to light it with a flashlight, but that just made it even more blue. The aroma as you pour is something that will draw you into the cocktail and will pull others from around the house to the bar. And the taste is going to make you ask for far more than you should probably have.

So, if you don't have a bottle of this yet, start shopping. And pick up a bottle of a nice Silver Tequila as well. You won't be disappointed.

Amore-a-Rita
  • 1 measure of fresh lime

  • 2 measures of Parfait Amore

  • 3 measures of Silver Tequila

Shake hard with cracked ice, strain into a cocktail glass.

Enjoy.



Amore-a-ritaParfait AmoreAmore-a-rita

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Tails of the Merman

OK, a little link-love....

Tails of the Merman, Episode 4

The local ohana has been working on a film project. I can't tell you why, just that what started as a short film has become a five-part serial. The link above is for Episode Four, one of our funniest yet.

Search out the rest of the serial from exp33, you wont regret it.

Did I mention that E33 created a kick-ass cocktail recipe for the occasion? When you get to Episode Two, start brewing some Ginger Infused Rum for the cocktail in Episode Three.

~~Update~~

I just saw a recipe over at Chicken Angel and though it was too perfect considering some of the characters in our little project.

I think when we get together to film next a round is in order.