amore morado

1 oz Tequila Blanco (Espolón)
1 oz Sloe Gin (Averell Damson Gin)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1/3 tsp Absinthe Verte (Obsello)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an edible violet (fresh or candied) if available.

While searching in Absinthe Cocktails for the evening's cocktail last Friday, I spotted Phil Ward's Amore Morado. The recipe paired tequila and sloe gin -- a combination that worked rather well in another of Phil's drinks, the Lipspin. Instead of sloe gin proper, I used a recent purchase of a related plum-infused spirit, Averell Damson Gin that Four Pounds Flour blogger Sarah Lohman wrote about here a few months ago. Beside citrus and absinthe, the recipe also included crème de violette which seems appropriate for the drink name translates to "violet love."
The violet in the Amore Morado began in the aroma where it merged with the absinthe's anise notes. The sip contained citrus and plum flavors that were shaped by floral notes, and the violet became more notable on the swallow where it joined the agave and absinthe. Andrea summed up the drink best with her declaration of "wow... it's like drinking flowers!"