That was the reply to, 'Are the flowers edible?' which I asked in reference to the fluffy looking globes bobbing up from a bunch of chive stems. The young woman at Maxwell's farm was so vehement I realized if I did anything but eat the flowers it would be very wrong indeed.
I haven't tried the chive blossoms yet, but last night I had a belly full of pansies.
It was the May meeting of the NYC Cocktail Club, and the enviously multitalented Trader Vicky (and her beau ChrisK) hosted a Flower Power Cocktail Hour. The bar was stocked with floral liqueurs and mixers and the table was spread with garden-inspired edibles.
The full list of featured intoxicants and the drink recipes are below. The first floracious and flirty drink of the evening was the Stratosphere, the recipe for which was taken straight from the Crème Yvette bottle. It was surprisingly wonderful. We have tried and failed at various cocktail club meetings and individually in our own homes to mix great cocktails with this floral liqueur. A later experiment with two versions of the classic Aviation--one with Crème de Violette and one with Crème Yvette--confirmed what we had already begun to suspect. Yvette, although seemingly lovely, is crass once you get to know her. Violette, on the other hand, is a little softer, a little easier to enjoy.
Regardless, Yvette is wonderful when she is only being asked to mix in the company of Champagne, or as in this case, Prosecco. Trader Vicky concluded that bubbly was a good solution for any 'problem child.' (After a long struggle with rhubarb-strawberry syrup that ended delightfully in Prosecco, I had to agree. Bubbles and pansies just make the world a brighter place.)
As our taste buds savored the Stratosphere, our eyes feasted on lovely edibles in the much closer troposphere. The table was tiered with delightful sweets--mini-cupcakes flavored with Earl Grey and orange, macaroons in various flavors, and Biscuits Roses (a.k.a. Biscuits de Reims, French cookies that are known for being a 'perfect accompaniment to Champagne'). And, there were season-inspired appetizers, including spring rolls filled with Greek salad, which I thought was a wonderfully clever way to eat your greens!
The self-created Boulevard was the second delicious mix Trader Vicky presented. Violette was featured with Orange Vodka, and St. Germain (Elderflower liqueur). Trader Vicky had done her homework well. As a result, she proposed that St. Germain is 'friends with everyone,' a theory which held up throughout the evening.
Two other cocktails with St. Germain followed--the Nomayo with gin and Aperol and the Saint Anne with gin, mint and lemon, the recipe for which is attributed to James restaurant and was posted in February on Suzi's Blog. It is an ambrosial nectar worthy of mixing again and again.
Before we moved on to other mixes, we we enjoyed a delicious beet and goat cheese galette and a tasty crustless quiche filled with spinach and feta.
And then, the experimenting began. LP made a well-balanced cocktail which Vicky dubbed the Chamomile Can-Can. She used chamomile-infused Eldorado rum. While I thought it was a gorgeous drink, I have an aversion to all things chamomile. Nevertheless, the other ladies enjoyed it quite a bit.
There was a twist on a sour that was also beautiful, though by then, my taste buds were becoming a little confused. A tasty Blood Orange Sidecar appeared along the way. (I'll leave it to Trader Vicky and LP to post those recipes in the comments if they choose.)
I tried several concoctions with rose water. Upon tasting the first, Trader Vicky declared, 'You made soap!' Indeed. There was a drink that came closer with only one drop of rose water in a swirl of gin, framboise, and one of the creme sisters--I don't recall which and the drink was not memorable enough to chronicle. I ended the evening with a few ounces of Prosecco and a splash of the rhubarb-strawberry syrup.
The little room left in our stomachs was filled with a pretty lemon curd and fruit tart made by Mrs. O. It was delicious, but you know tart and pie just don't photograph well! So, instead please enjoy more floral libations.
And remember. Eat the flowers!
Featured intoxicants
Hendricks Gin
Pinky Vodka
Crème Yvette
Crème de Violette
St. Germain
Parfait Amour
Barenjager
Vodka Infusions: Chamomile, Lavender; Hibiscus
Rosewater
Orange flower water
Recipes
Boulevard
1 3/4 ounce orange vodka
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce Creme de Violette
1/2 ounce St. Germain
1/4 ounce agave syrup
Chamomile Can-Can
1 1/2 ounces chamomile-infused Eldorado rum
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce pear brandy
3/4 of one egg white
Stratosphere
3/4 ounce Crème Yvette
Top in a flute with Champagne or Prosecco
I haven't tried the chive blossoms yet, but last night I had a belly full of pansies.
It was the May meeting of the NYC Cocktail Club, and the enviously multitalented Trader Vicky (and her beau ChrisK) hosted a Flower Power Cocktail Hour. The bar was stocked with floral liqueurs and mixers and the table was spread with garden-inspired edibles.
Regardless, Yvette is wonderful when she is only being asked to mix in the company of Champagne, or as in this case, Prosecco. Trader Vicky concluded that bubbly was a good solution for any 'problem child.' (After a long struggle with rhubarb-strawberry syrup that ended delightfully in Prosecco, I had to agree. Bubbles and pansies just make the world a brighter place.)
As our taste buds savored the Stratosphere, our eyes feasted on lovely edibles in the much closer troposphere. The table was tiered with delightful sweets--mini-cupcakes flavored with Earl Grey and orange, macaroons in various flavors, and Biscuits Roses (a.k.a. Biscuits de Reims, French cookies that are known for being a 'perfect accompaniment to Champagne'). And, there were season-inspired appetizers, including spring rolls filled with Greek salad, which I thought was a wonderfully clever way to eat your greens!
The self-created Boulevard was the second delicious mix Trader Vicky presented. Violette was featured with Orange Vodka, and St. Germain (Elderflower liqueur). Trader Vicky had done her homework well. As a result, she proposed that St. Germain is 'friends with everyone,' a theory which held up throughout the evening.
Before we moved on to other mixes, we we enjoyed a delicious beet and goat cheese galette and a tasty crustless quiche filled with spinach and feta.
And then, the experimenting began. LP made a well-balanced cocktail which Vicky dubbed the Chamomile Can-Can. She used chamomile-infused Eldorado rum. While I thought it was a gorgeous drink, I have an aversion to all things chamomile. Nevertheless, the other ladies enjoyed it quite a bit.
There was a twist on a sour that was also beautiful, though by then, my taste buds were becoming a little confused. A tasty Blood Orange Sidecar appeared along the way. (I'll leave it to Trader Vicky and LP to post those recipes in the comments if they choose.)
I tried several concoctions with rose water. Upon tasting the first, Trader Vicky declared, 'You made soap!' Indeed. There was a drink that came closer with only one drop of rose water in a swirl of gin, framboise, and one of the creme sisters--I don't recall which and the drink was not memorable enough to chronicle. I ended the evening with a few ounces of Prosecco and a splash of the rhubarb-strawberry syrup.
The little room left in our stomachs was filled with a pretty lemon curd and fruit tart made by Mrs. O. It was delicious, but you know tart and pie just don't photograph well! So, instead please enjoy more floral libations.
And remember. Eat the flowers!
Hendricks Gin
Pinky Vodka
Crème Yvette
Crème de Violette
St. Germain
Parfait Amour
Barenjager
Vodka Infusions: Chamomile, Lavender; Hibiscus
Rosewater
Orange flower water
Recipes
Boulevard
1 3/4 ounce orange vodka
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce Creme de Violette
1/2 ounce St. Germain
1/4 ounce agave syrup
Chamomile Can-Can
1 1/2 ounces chamomile-infused Eldorado rum
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce pear brandy
3/4 of one egg white
Stratosphere
3/4 ounce Crème Yvette
Top in a flute with Champagne or Prosecco
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