I am waiting for the Presidential speech to start, but I wrote this up on the train and figured I’d go ahead and post it.
I was so pleased with the violet cocktail on Friday that I decided to try another violet cocktail on Saturday.
![](http://antagonia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_1587-225x300.jpg)
Wretched Groom
Ingredients:
1/2 large Bosc Pear
3 oz Greylock gin
13 fresh violets
1 1/2 tsp evaporated cane juice
splash of Cognac
splash of Mathilde Poire liqueur
Instructions:
-Cut two very thin slices of pear, dice remaining pear into 1/2″ cubes
-Reserve three violets, add violets, pear, cane juice and gin to shaker
-Muddle well, until violets and pear are completely macerated
-Add cognac and liqueur
-Shake
-Pour into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with violets and pear slice
I also decided that what with all the violets, I might as well pick as many as possible before they wilt and/or get mowed and try to make my own creme de violette. Yesterday, I picked somewhere in the vicinity of 100-200 violets and cooked them with sugar, but that didn’t taste nearly violet-y enough, so today I picked about a thousand violets and I’m going to try just infusing the fresh violets and see how that works.
![](http://antagonia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_1605-300x225.jpg)
So, yes, I spent three hours picking violets. I’m not proud. Or tired.
I also picked slighty-smaller-craploads of dandelions, because I decided I’m going to try making my own bitters. I’m excited because I think I’m going to try using asparagus blossoms in the bitters. I figure if I infuse a bunch of different things separately, then I can try mixing and matching them until I get the right concoction. Bitters often use dandelion greens, but I picked some flowers, too. I’m secretly excited for when the asparagus goes to seed, because asparagus fronds have the most awesome flavor and I can infuse some of those. And sorrel.
![](http://antagonia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_1606-300x225.jpg)
Then I used the flowers to make this, partly because
supertailz requested a drink using Magellan yesterday, but I’d already gone with Greylock as the iris flavor in Magellan would completely overpower the violets, which are really, really subtle. You know, subtle enough that a hundred of them don’t appear to leave much of a flavor in simple syrup.
![](http://antagonia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_1607-225x300.jpg)
Bradbury
Ingredients:
3 oz Magellan gin
6 dandelion blossoms
Splash of Ramazzotti amaro
Splash of Cardamaro
A few droplets of walnut oil
Instructions:
-Reserve one dandelion
-Add dandelions and gin to shaker, muddle until dandelions are completely macerated (they will look like small yellow ribbons)
-Add Ramazzotti and Cardamaro
-Shake and pour
-Garnish with remaining dandelion blossom and walnut oil to taste
In other news, we picked some of the first asparagus of the season. Let’s talk about this asparagus. You know how there’s all that talk about how organic vegetables are necessarily smaller and wimpier than the factory farmed kind?
Yeah? Well MY ASPARAGUS AND I CHALLENGE YOU.
![](http://antagonia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_1609-216x300.jpg)
LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT ASPARAGUS.
It was also shockingly sweet and tender for the size. I was mightily impressed with our asparagus-growing prowess.
Oh, also, I lied. About the not being tired part.
Mirrored from
Antagonia.net.