Parfait d'amour

Parfait d'amour
TypeLiqueur
Manufacturer(various)
OriginFrance[1]
Introduced19th century[2]
ColourPurple

Parfait d'amour (pronounced [paʁfe d‿amuːʁ]), or parfait amour,[3] is a liqueur. It is often used in cocktails primarily for its purple colour, and is generally created from a curaçao liqueur base.[4]

There are several versions of parfait d'amour. The House of Lucas Bols in the Netherlands claims to have originated the liqueur. Theirs appears to be a curaçao base, flavoured with rose petals, vanilla and almonds.[5] Marie Brizard, a Bordeaux-based distiller, has a product with a similar flavor profile.[6] Another form, produced by DeKuyper, uses a spirit as its base, and is flavoured with lemon, coriander and violets.[7]

Guardian writer John Wright describes it as "a potent compound... It tasted like the perfume counter at Boots."[3] He suggests a homemade version containing rose petals in a base of white rum or eau de vie, with the addition of syrups made from raspberry juice and rosehips.[3]

Availability

Parfait d'amour is primarily produced and sold in France and the Netherlands,[8] although it is available in the United Kingdom,[9] Spain, the United States,[10] Canada, Australia,[11] Greece, Sweden,[12] Denmark, Finland,[13] Iceland, and Norway.

References in literature

In the memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, the character Belle-Rose disparages parfait d'amour: "... they poured out some parfait amour; 'This is drinkable,' said he, 'but still it is not even small beer in comparison with the liqueurs of the celebrated madame Anfous.'"[14][15]

In her 1855 novel Ruth Hall, Fanny Fern describes it as a drink popular among society women: "the disgusting spectacle of scores of ladies devouring, ad infinitum, brandy-drops, Roman punch, Charlotte Russe, pies, cakes, and ices; and sipping 'parfait amour.'"[16]

In John Brunner's The Squares of the City a minor character drinks Parfait Amour, which is described as a sweet purple liqueur that looked like methylated spirits.

Inside Story the late autobiography of Martin Amis, tells how parfait amour was an alcoholic drink a past girlfriend, an otherwise non-drinker, might be persuaded to take.

Cocktail with parfait d'amour

Takumi's Aviation is a modern classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, parfait d'amour, and lemon juice.[17]

Taylor-Burton Affair is made with Sipsmith gin infused with butterfly pea tea, lemon juice, gomme syrup, parfait amour liqueur.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Bold Parfait Amour". Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  2. ^ "Bold Parfait Amour". Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  3. ^ a b c John Wright (15 June 2011). "How to make parfait amour". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Parfait amour liqueurs". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  5. ^ "Bols Parfait Amour". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  6. ^ "Marie Brizard Parfait Amour". www.abc.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
  7. ^ B. N. Bowden (1978). "Violaceae". In V. H. Heywood (ed.). Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-217674-9.
  8. ^ Torner, Timo (2022-05-23). "A Quick Guide to Parfait Amour Liqueur". Cocktail Society. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  9. ^ "Giffard Parfait Amour (Violet) Liqueur : The Whisky Exchange". www.thewhiskyexchange.com. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  10. ^ "Marie Brizard Parfait Amour". www.abc.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  11. ^ "Parfait Amour 500mL". Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  12. ^ "Bols Parfait Amour". www.systembolaget.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  13. ^ "Bols Parfait Amour" (in Finnish). Alko. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  14. ^ Eugène François Vidocq (1834). Memoirs of Vidocq. Baltimore: Carey, Hart & Co. p. 132.
  15. ^ The name "Anfous" here is a misspelling of "Anfoux," referring to a widow from Martinique, later of the Rue Montmartre in Paris, renowned for her liqueurs.
  16. ^ Fanny Fern. Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of the Present Time. p. 157. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  17. ^ "Takumis Aviation Cocktail Recipe". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  18. ^ Lygon Arms hotel (August 2023). "Lygon Arms Cocktails" (PDF). p. 11. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
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