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Despite the name, the Poison is a pretty harmless-looking drink, a soft lilac highball made from vodka, Parfait Amour and bitter lemon. Parfait Amour is French for perfect love, and the violet liqueur gives the drink both its color and its joke, playing a love potion against something more sinister.
Parfait Amour is usually flavored with orange peel, vanilla and flowers such as rose or violet, so it brings a floral, candied sweetness along with that color. Bitter lemon, a cloudy lemon soda sharpened with quinine, cuts the sweetness with tart citrus and a gentle bitter edge, while the vodka stays in the background. The older recipe listed the bitter lemon without a measure, so we have set it at four ounces to fill the glass.
Glass: Highball glass | Strength: Light | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 2 minutes
Bartenders tip: Schweppes and Fever-Tree both make bitter lemon, and if you can’t find it, tonic water with a good squeeze of fresh lemon is a close stand-in. Build it over plenty of ice and stir gently so you keep the bubbles. Parfait Amour brands vary, with some more floral and some more orange-forward, so taste yours before deciding whether to add a little more.
