A Perfectly Purple Punch Recipe

This recipe for a perfectly purple punch is sassy yet sophisticated. It’s sure to be the star of your next party. Originally created for a friend’s birthday party (which also happened to be on New Year’s Eve), we are pleasantly surprised at how this turned out! Living in Fort Worth, home of the TCU Horned Frogs, it’s totally normal for us to see purple all over over the place.

Drawing inspiration from two classic cocktails, the French 75 and the Aviation, we have added St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur, to the mix. We also utilize Empress 1908 Gin, which has a beautifully vivid indigo color.

About this Purple Punch Recipe

Inspiration – We originally set out to create a punch recipe that resembles something of a French 75 Cocktail. Traditionally this cocktail would include Gin (or Brandy), Lemon, Simple Syrup and Champagne as a topper. It’s bright, citrusy and refreshing. Wanting to elevate the cocktail a bit, we will substitute St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur, for the simple syrup.

Individual Portions – Not having a huge party? Want to make a single cocktail instead? That’s totally doable! Simply combine all ingredients in a shaker tin except for the champagne. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30-40 seconds. Strain into a champagne coupe and top with champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish w/ a lemon peel. Here’s the breakdown of individual proportions:

• 3/4oz Empress 1908 Gin
• 3/4oz St. Germain
• 3/4oz Lemon Juice
• 1/4oz Rothman & Winter Créme de Violette
• 3oz Champagne or Dry Sparkling Wine

Ingredients

Gin – Lauren had a great idea to use the Empress 1908 Gin. Made with 8 botanicals, it has an incredibly vivid Indigo color thanks to the infusion of butterfly pea blossom. The color, once combined in a cocktail, changes to a pale purple. It has a wonderful flavor and will have people buzzing once they see the elegant bottle and its unique color.

Créme de Violette – There are a few options out there when it comes to Créme de Violette, which is most commonly found in the Aviation cocktail. If you’re chasing that deep purple color in a cocktail, there is no substitute for the Rothman & Winter version of this liqueur. If you’re pursuing maximum floral notes with a dash of color, I also recommend the Tempus Fugit version. It won’t give you the traditional violet color, but it has excellent flavor.

St. Germain – St. Germain should be a staple in your backbar setup. It can be used in so many different ways, and quite frankly, people love it. We are able to use the St. Germain in place of a traditional simple syrup for this recipe. It gives a sweet floral note, reminiscent of honeysuckle or jasmine, to any cocktail. There are cheaper alternatives out there, such as St. Elder. They’re okay, but nothing can truly replace St. Germain.

Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed juice will always yield the best results when making cocktails. However, it’s totally fine to purchase fresh juice from the grocery store or even purchase a commercially bottled product from reputable brands such as Lakewood or Santa Cruz.

Sparkling Wine – Any dry sparkling wine will suffice. You can use dry Prosecco, Cremant or Champagne if you’re feeling extra fancy.

Serving this Purple Punch Recipe

Garnish – We use thinly sliced lemon and orange wheels for the garnish, but dehydrated fruit or even fresh edible flowers would make for a nice touch.

Ice – If you have access to larger rocks or spheres, those work the best in punch bowls. They dilute at a slower rate, and they also look really nice in the larger punch bowl. Silicone molds or trays work best, but you can use traditional ice if you must. The larger the cube the better. We compensate for dilution in this recipe by adding a little bit of water to the recipe, so you’re really just trying to keep the punch cold.

Food Pairings – This is truly a celebratory drink. Perfect for New Year’s Eve, Birthdays, Mother’s Day Brunch, etc. Try serving this punch alongside our Ultimate Lobster Deviled Eggs or Lauren’s amazing Quiche Recipe.

Recipe

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Perfectly Purple Punch Recipe

January 4, 2023

Servings: 16

Prep: 5 min

Cook:

Total: 5 min

Difficulty: Easy

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This recipe for a perfectly purple punch is sassy yet sophisticated. It’s sure to be the star of your next party. Originally created for a friend’s birthday party (which also happened to be on New Year’s Eve), we are pleasantly surprised at how this turned out! Living in Fort Worth, home of the TCU Horned Frogs, it’s totally normal for us to see purple all over over the place. Drawing inspiration from two classic cocktails, the French 75 and the Aviation, we have added St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur, to the mix. We also utilize Empress 1908 Gin, which has a beautifully vivid indigo color.

By: Cam Cook

Ingredients

• 12oz Empress Gin (1.5 Cups)
• 12oz St. Germain (1.5 Cups)
• 12oz Lemon Juice (1.5 Cups)
• 6oz Water (3/4 Cup)
• 4oz Rothman & Winter Créme de Violette (1/2 Cup)
• 50oz Dry Sparkling Wine (2 standard 750ml Bottles)
• 1 Orange, thinly sliced for garnish
• 1 Lemon, thinly sliced for garnish
• Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

Directions

• Step 1 Combine all ingredients except for the sparkling wine in a large punch bowl.
• Step 2 Using a whisk, stir the ingredients vigorously to combine.
• Step 3 Gently add the sparkling wine to the punch bowl.
• Step 4 Using a whisk, gently stir again to combine sparkling wine with the rest of the ingredients.
• Step 5 Add orange and lemon slices for garnish.
• Step 6 Add large ice cubes as needed to keep punch cold.
• Step 7 If you’re interested in making this in a single cocktail, instead of a large punch, see the individual cocktail proportions above in the notes.

About the Author

Cameron is a co-founder of Whisk & Shake. He’s a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and has extensive craft cocktail knowledge through is experience working in some of the top restaurants in Dallas, Denver and Aspen. He holds degrees in Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management.