Parfait d'amour (pronounced [paʁfe d‿amuːʁ]), or parfait amour,[1] is a liqueur. It is often used in cocktails primarily for its purple colour,[citation needed] and is generally created from a curaçao liqueur base.
| Type | Liqueur |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | (various) |
| Country of origin | France |
| Introduced | 19th century |
| Colour | Purple |
There are several versions of parfait d'amour. The House of Lucas Bols in the Netherlands claims to have originated the liqueur. Theirs appears to be a curaçao base, flavoured with rose petals, vanilla and almonds.[citation needed] Marie Brizard, a Bordeaux-based distiller, has a product[which?] with a similar flavor profile.[citation needed] Another form, produced by DeKuyper, uses a spirit as its base, and is flavoured with lemon, coriander and violets.[2]
Guardian writer John Wright describes it as "a potent compound... It tasted like the perfume counter at Boots."[1] He suggests a homemade version containing rose petals in a base of white rum or eau de vie, with the addition of syrups made from raspberry juice and rosehips.[1]
Availability
Parfait d'amour is primarily produced and sold in France and the Netherlands,[citation needed] although it is available in the United Kingdom, Spain, United States, Canada, Australia, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway.[citation needed]
References in literature
In the memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, the character Belle-Rose disparages parfait d'amour: "... they poured out some parfait amour; 'This is drinkable,' said he, 'but still it is not even small beer in comparison with the liqueurs of the celebrated madame Anfous."[3][4]
In her 1855 novel Ruth Hall, Fanny Fern describes it as a drink popular among society women: "the disgusting spectacle of scores of ladies devouring, ad infinitum, brandy-drops, Roman punch, Charlotte Russe, pies, cakes, and ices; and sipping 'parfait amour.'"[5]
In John Brunner's The Squares of the City a minor character drinks Parfait Amour, which is described as a sweet purple liqueur that looked like methylated spirits.
Cocktail with parfait d'amour
Takumi's Aviation is a modern classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, parfait d'amour, and lemon juice.
Taylor-Burton Affair is made with Sipsmith gin infused with butterfly pea tea, lemon juice, gomme syrup, Parfait Amour liqueur.[6]
References
External links
- "The DeKuyper website"
- "Parfait Amour" in the Bols website.
- "The Joseph Cartron website"