Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
one of the most popular colors of that era. Ten years later, Crème Yvette was acquired by Charles Jacquin et Cie in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it continued to inspire colorful cocktails such as the patriotically-layered red, white and blue Dewey (raspberry syrup, Maraschino, Crème Yvette, and Plymouth Gin), and was mentioned in numerous cocktail books, ranging from Recipe For Mixed Drinks (1917) to Old Waldorf Bar Days (1931). After Prohibition, Rob's grandfather acquired the Charles Jacquin company, and with it, Crème Yvette. But by the late 1950s, the less complicated Highball and Vodka Martini had come into vogue. Consequently, in 1969 production of Crème Yvette was halted and it soon disappeared from the backbars. But today's resurrection of retro-drinks has resulted in a sometimes frustrating search for many of the historically key ingredients needed for such classics as the Pousse Café and Submarine Kiss. As a result, Cooper felt it was time to bring Crème Yvette back to the future. "I found the Crème Yvette recipe buried in some archives from the Charles Jacquin company," Cooper recalls, "and I relaunched it with exactly the same recipe. It's basically an infusion of four berry fruits: blackberry, cassis, framboise (red raspberry) and wild strawberry. It's all put into a Vinimatic maceration process, employing a pneumatic press, and mixed together. Then we add dried French violet petals from Provence, and as a final touch we put in a small amount of honey and orange peel." The result is an all-natural, amberpurple fruit liqueur with a subtle floral overtone of violets blanketing multiple layers of red berry flavors. Distilled in France and bottled at its original 55.5% proof and in a similar-looking bell-shaped glass carafe, Crème Yvette possesses a delicacy that lends itself to a variety of cocktails, both old and new. "We're positioning it as an alternative to other berry fruit liqueurs," says Cooper, "because not only is it more sophisticated and interesting, it has more depth and substance. So it's not just a fruit liqueur, it's a fruit liqueur with a very delicate violet component to it." Along with its relaunch, Crème Yvette is being made more accessible to the trade with a significant reduction in price of approximately 25% from its former retail cost, which is noteworthy, considering it is a complicated and expensive product to make. In addition, on-premise marketing will include vintage French poster art and possibly the search for a mystical woman named Yvette. "I have a deep reverence and affinity for cocktail culture and the history of our industry," says Cooper. "Now, with Crème Yvette, I have an opportunity to resurrect a piece of history with this long lost ingredient, and I'm going to make it happen." Indeed, the color purple has never been more vibrant. The Big Apple: Color It Purple Zack Kameron, Head Sommelier at A Voce Columbus restaurant on the third floor of New York's Time Warner Center, knows a good thing when he pours it. Ever since acquiring the restaurant's first bottle of Crème Yvette a little over a year ago, he has been one of its most ardent supporters. Currently Crème Yvette is featured in a number of the restaurant's cocktails, including their signature Kier Italiano, a mixture of Crème Yvette, St-Germain, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and Prosecco. "There are a number of things that attracted me to Crème Yvette, says Kameron. "First of all, it is a very " high-quality product. When you're looking at liqueurs, you don't want them to necessarily be syrupy and sweet. You want them to be natural and with balance. The other thing, of course, is the color. Crème Yvette imparts this absolutely gorgeous color when it's mixed in cocktails—that deep purple really makes the cocktails pop. Crème Yvette has so many layers of flavor, it adds so much more to the drink. And it's become a real conversation piece behind the bar because of its unique bottle. —R. C. H. " Zack Kameron, Head Sommelier at A Voce Columbus in New York's Time Warner Center, features Crème Yvette in the restaurant's signature Kier Italiano. "I had never seen a violet liqueur on a bar anywhere," he says. "One of the bartenders found it on the internet, so we brought a bottle in and played around with it and discovered it was everything we wanted and more." june 2013 / the tasting panel / 91 TP0613_080-119.indd 91 5/23/13 5:30 PM