The Pink Lumière is a new version of my absolute favorite cocktail. I had posted a picture of this beautiful pink cocktail on social media and got a huge response asking what was in it. It’s funny how by just changing the gin to this fun, colorful one, I got such a reaction. I have added just a bit more gin to this version to bring out the color.
I had been playing around with Empress1908 gin, I love the color, and it blends well in cocktails. When you get a bottle of this Canadian gin, it is distinctly Violet. The color comes from the pea flowers used in the making of this delicious gin. There is more to it than that, though. If you add an acid or tonic water to this gin, it changes color to bright pink. I have wanted to experiment with it since I had first read about it over a year ago. It took a while for the gin to show up in New York, But when it did, I quickly grabbed a bottle. I regret not buying a second bottle since it is almost impossible to get to the liquor stores in New York right now for me. There are a couple of stores here in New Jersey that carry it, but not within a reasonable distance.
The other ingredients for The Pink Lumière are two liquors; Green chartreuse and St Germain. I feel anyone interested in having a stocked bar should consider having these two bottles on hand. Green chartreuse and St Germain are easily found in most well-stocked liquor stores. And I have discovered I love them in several cocktails, the green chartreuse is marvelous in The Last Word, for instance.
Green Chartreuse is a liqueur that has been made by the Carthusian Monks in France since the 1700s. It is composed of 130 herbs, plants, and Flowers. The best way to describe Green Chartreuse is that is has a slightly floral, herbal taste unlike anything else you might have tasted. Green Chartreuse is also where we get the color chartreuse. There is a yellow version of this liquor (which was introduced in 1840), which is sweeter and milder than it’s green sibling. Only two Chartreuse monks know the identity of the 130 plants, how to blend both chartreuses and how to distill them into these world-famous liqueurs. They are also the only ones who know which plants they have to macerate to produce its natural green and yellow colors. And they alone supervise the slow aging in oak casks. Both versions are fantastic when mixed with many different cocktails. Don’t be put off by the idea of a herbal taste. It blends beautifully with gin.
ST Germain is a sweet liqueur made from elderflowers picked from the French Alps. St Germain is relatively new to the cocktail scene. It has only been produced since 2007 and is based in the USA. It, too, is fantastic in many mixed drinks. ST Germain is even found flavoring of a certain Prince’s wedding cake in England. It is sweet and flavorful. I will admit I tried to flavor a tapioca pudding with it once, and it was too strong and overpowered everything…lol. But I love it in The Pink Lumière.
I have posted the original recipe for a Lumière and again even revisited it last year on my blog. Originally Developed by Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema’s Beverage Director Jen Marshall to celebrate the film Hugo. But this one is a bit special and worth its own post. Empress1908 gin really makes this a special cocktail worthy of a special occasion like a wedding or an outdoor garden party. (when we can have those again!) I love how the color is so beautiful, and I can see sipping one of these beauties on a summer afternoon any day. Let me know in the comments if you make this very refreshing and tasty Pink Lumière. I promise you this is one special cocktail worth the effort.
- 1 ¾ oz Empress1908 gin
- 1 oz St Germain
- ¾ oz green chartreuse
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 2 dashes of orange bitters or grapefruit bitters
-
Chill a coupe glass by putting it in the fridge, freezer, or filling it with ice.
-
Place the Empress1908 gin, St Germain, Green Chartreuse, the fresh lime juice, and the dash of orange bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
-
Shake vigorously for a minute until very cold.
-
Empty the coupe glass of ice, if chilling. Pour the shaken cocktail into the chilled coupe glass and serve.
