I really don't understand your loathing for Créme Yvette. It isn't as syrupy-sweet as Créme de Cassis. And it has a really fascinating flavor - when is the last time you ate something that tasted like violets, except for maybe that one time you ate part of your mom's African violets from the kitchen window? I mean, you seem to like lavender, and they're both delicate, floral flavors that could easily overpower a drink or a dessert. You just need to pair it with strong flavors that can compete with its sweet, floral powers. Like you'd show your dominance to train a dog. Or, for that matter, a boyfriend:
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| Apparently it's a game! And there are two of them! I'd suggest we play, but perhaps we already are... |
I think you just picked an unfortunate drink. Gin is lovely, but it won't do quite enough to temper the really strong violet and berry taste of Créme Yvette. I'd thought about doing a gin cocktail, but since you beat me to it, I decided to pick a dark liquor drink.
For some harebrained* reason I picked a drink with a lot of prep, but it does have star anise in it, which seems appropriate given that our cozy mystery heroine is named Anise Starr.
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| It's pretty, but I'm not sure it gave the drink too much flavor... |
Anyway, I had to make an infused sugar syrup, for which I didn't really follow the directions. I just heated up a simple syrup in the microwave, threw in a teabag and some star anise and let it sit for a few minutes while I made dinner and mixed up everything else. I think it worked passably.
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| Roughly 0.5 oz infused simple syrup. |
The simple syrup, by the way, was pretty delicious on its own. I've saved some for your next visit to Bristol, should you want to use it for some fun new Créme Yvette cocktail.
But then you muddle some ginger and lemon peel with it, add ice, lots of bourbon (I used Four Roses Small Batch this time), and a splash of Créme Yvette, then strain it into a new glass and voilá! You have the Ginger Rabbit.
It tastes, to be honest, about 90% like bourbon. Which means it's definitely your kind of drink. And I was a bit scared of the simple syrup. In the same drink as Créme Yvette I was afraid it would just taste like sweet, syrupy alcohol. That would be okay if I were a sorority girl. Lucky for us both, I'm not.
It did taste like a subtly sweet bourbon - the floral aftertaste was just barely there, but it was tempered by the depth of the bourbon and the earthiness of the simple syrup, not to mention the sharp notes of the ginger and the lemon. I found it a nicely-balanced and delicious drink, even vaguely appropriate for spring!
I'll make one for you next time I see you. I think I can turn you around on Créme Yvette. I don't see us ever sipping it on the porch, at least not until we enter a Victorian-themed retirement home. But I still think it's an interesting addition to some cocktails.
I think you'll like my next creation better, anyway. So get ready for...
H I P S T E R G R A N D M A
Yours always,
Dave
* I still think "harebrained" is most correct, despite your apparent attachment to the "hairbrained" spelling. That's harebrained, I say.
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