Alan Walter is a bartender at craft cocktail bar Loa at International House Hotel in New Orleans.
“The Lilac Breasted Roller is considered by many to be the most beautiful bird in the world. The young are varied shades of brown and slowly, surely, their feathers develop into pastel hues that rival any preteen girl’s dream bedroom. Lilac Breasted Rollers mate for life, fly like acrobats and beat their prey against a rock to kill it before swallowing it whole.
This layered cocktail, with gin, violet liqueur, Cloosterbitter, saffron syrup and Peychaud’s bitters, begins its life like the full-grown beauty, and once agitated, develops in reverse to a golden-hued gin Martini. All the colors, the vibrancy and the mayhem of Mardi Gras, served up.”
Lilac Breasted Roller
1 ½ oz. Magellan Gin
½ oz. Tempus Fugit Liqueur de Violettes
¼ oz. Boomsma Cloosterbitter
¼ oz. House saffron syrup
Pinch salt
Dash Peychaud’s bitters
Chill all ingredients. Blend Cloosterbitter with saffron syrup and salt, add to cocktail glass. Layer Liqueur de Violettes, then gin, and float the Peychaud’s. Serve with a clean feather and stir before imbibing.