El Diamonte Barragán

El Diamonte Barragán

Given the deliciously bizarre tale of how architect Luis Barragán became a diamond, it seemed only proper that the cocktail to accompany such a tale had to have the word diamond in it. Did you miss the post on architect Luis Barragán? You can find it here.

“It was jacaranda season in Guadalajara, and the streets were carpeted with purple blossoms. Magid headed to a grand, lemon-colored house in the city center, one of Barragán’s early buildings, which is now home to a Catholic university. It was late morning, and Magid had arranged to introduce Barragán’s family to their carbonized relative. A banquet table had been set up in the back garden. Fountains gurgled; parrots squawked; dogs barked on the other side of courtyard walls.” from The Architect Who Became A Diamond, by Alice Gregory written for the New Yorker, July 25, 2016. Obviously the cocktail had to have the word diamond in its name. So naturally I googled it. But none of them were quite right. They almost all contained a gin or vodka base, which seemed inappropriate for the OG of Mexican modernism. The cocktail had to have a tequila or mezcal base and needed to sparkle. The Violet Hold which features tequila and mezcal and has a delicate violet hue, perfect for jacaranda season, seemed like a good place to start. We’ve altered the recipe by removing the mezcal and lessening the lemon juice. Sparkling wine forms the base with a splash of tequila on top. Crème de Violette gives the delicate lavender hue and acts as the sweetener. So if you want to make this cocktail a little sweeter, add more Crème de Violette.

Ingredients

• 2.5 oz sparkling wine.

• .75 oz Crème de Violette

• .5 oz lemon juice

• .5 oz tequila

Mix the tequila, lemon juice and Crème de Violette in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Pour sparkling wine into a chilled coupe and top with mixture from mixing glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy.