Purple Rain
The outpouring of love and nostalgia over the passing of Prince last week has inspired and moved me in ways I didn't think were possible. The sense of loss is especially poignant in the Purple One's hometown of Minneapolis, with day-upon-day of group mourning and catharsis that has come in the form of impromptu street gatherings, all-night dance parties at First Avenue (the club made famous in Purple Rain), and memorials at Paisley Park.
It's no surprise, then, that the local bar community -- notable for their culinary artistry, but also for the vast numbers who also belong to the local music scene -- are paying their respects as well.
Ask around right now, and you will find spirit-based tributes to Prince's spirit at almost every craft cocktail bar around the Twin Cities. Robb Jones of Spoon and Stable shared with me his recipe for the Purple Rain. He tells me that the bar made "very many," this weekend, "many more than all the cocktails. I think everyone wanted to be part of something."
If you'd rather leave the mixology to the experts, you can still order this drink at Spoon and Stable, even though it's not on the menu.
Recipe:
- 1 ½ oz Tattersall Vodka
- ½ oz Cocchi Americano Rosa
- ½ oz simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ¼ oz Mathilde cassis liqueur "rained"
- Pansy garnish with a spritz of 50/50 absinthe and creme de violette
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients over ice, except creme de cassis and garnish. Shake to combine, and strain into an highball glass with fresh ice. Top by "raining" (drizzling) creme de cassis over top, misting glass with absinthe and creme de violette, and garnish with edible pansy flower.
Spoon and Stable represents the homecoming of world-renown chef Gavin Kaysen. Bar manager Robert Jones and his staff serve up a celebrated menu of seasonal riffs on classic cocktails.
211 North First Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 224-9850