As noted in my previous post, my hunt for Contratto, which had commenced late February, was unsuccessful. I ultimately had to special order a bottle. My search wasn’t a total bust, however. I did stumble upon Cork and Barrel, a new-to-me liquor store in Hamden that hosts tastings — of wine, infused vodkas, tequilas, you name it, and I discovered Pavan, one of the most elegant bottles of liqueur to ever grace a shelf. Produced in the south of France, Pavan, named after the peacock’s strut, is a delicate blend of muscat grapes and orange blossoms. You can find several Pavan cocktail recipes on the company’s website. Taking inspiration from their “Peacock Tail” recipe, I came up with a Pavan cocktail recipe of my own, which my daughter has asked me to name “Plume de Rosemarie.” (Le nom de ma fille est Genevieve Rosemarie.)
Plume de Rosemarie
Ingredients:
1 oz Hendricks gin
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon
3/4 oz Pavan
3/4 oz Lillet rose
1/2 oz honey
lemon wheel
sprig of fresh rosemary
sprig of fresh culinary lavendar (optional)
Directions:
Mix liquids, including honey, wiht 5 standard ice cubes in a shaker. Drain into a chilled martini glass. Float garnish and serve.
Garnish – pierce center of lemon wheel. Pull sprig of rosemary and lavender through center of lemon.
