Creme de Violette
Encyclopedia
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
with natural and/or artificial violet
Violet (plant)
Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae, with around 400–500 species distributed around the world. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, viola species are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes in...
flower flavoring and coloring with either a brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
base, a neutral spirit base, or a combination of the two. The taste profile and aroma are distinctly floral and sweet, and to many reminiscent of the violet candies popular in the early to mid 20th century. Its known production dates back to the early 19th century when it was served with dry vermouth or alone as a cordial.
One well-regarded brand is Benoit Serres Liqueur de Violette. However, it is reportedly very difficult to obtain even in France. Benoit Liqueur de Violette is made with a neutral spirit base with a smaller portion of Armagnac
Armagnac (drink)
Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy or eau de vie produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of Armagnac grapes, including Baco 22A, Colombard, and Ugni Blanc, using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the...
added to it.
After Crème de Violette had been all but unavailable in the United States for decades, in mid-2007 Haus Alpenz began importing the Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette, which is made from Queen Charlotte and March violet flowers from the Alps.
Crème de Violette is the forerunner to the liqueurs Parfait Amour and the American variation, Creme Yvette, both of which are decidedly different with pronounced vanilla and/or citrus flavors. When Crème de Violette is not available it is possible to use the Parfait Amour or Creme Yvette to replicate the violet color in a drink, though the taste profile is quite different.
It is considered a core ingredient in the Aviation
Aviation (cocktail)
The Aviation is a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. Some recipes omit the crème de violette. It is served straight up, in a cocktail glass.-History:...
cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
.
The rarity of Crème de Violette appeared as a plot element in an episode of The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
in 1965 entitled "Two's A Crowd".