Many years ago in Portland, Oregon, there was an uber cool, uber chic bar named the Brazen Bean. It was in the upper part of an old Victorian house and was one of the best places to go in town for an interesting cocktail. Over time I tried many of them but I always seemed to be lured back to the Brazen Martini.
So simple and chic, it consists of 1 part vodka to one part Parfait Amour. Parfait Amour is a French liqueur with hints of orange and vanilla and can sometimes prove elusive to find.
If you can’t locate it, you could use Creme d’Yvette which is a violet liqueur. I tried this recently and it is actually quite delicious. Add the tiniest splash of cointreau to bring a hint of orange and it’s a fabulous drink in its own right — and brazen enough to mimic another and pull it off with aplomb.
The Brazen Martini goes awfully well with a big bowl of cheddar popcorn. I may have combined the two the other night and called it dinner.
