Creme Yvette to Return to Store Shelves After Fifty Year Hiatus

Three years after introducing St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Cooper Spirits Company is reintroducing the violet liqueur Crème Yvette in the U.S.

Nearly all mid-century bartending guides suggest that Creme Yvette was part of any well-stocked bar, and it was essential in classic cocktails such as the Blue Moon or Affinity.  But in 1969, it disappeared.

Cooper's family business, the Philadelphia-based Charles Jacquin et Cie, has owned the recipe for decades but discontinued the product in 1969.  But after the success of St Germain, and increasing nagging from cocktail experts and writers David Wondrich and Dale DeGroff, Cooper began to look into resurrecting the unique cordial.

Crème Yvette is a blend of dried violet petals from Provence, a fresh berry maceration of blackberries, red raspberries, wild strawberries and blackcurrant from Burgundy, and a spice blend of honey, orange peel and vanilla.
If you are a fan of berry liqueurs like Chambord, Creme de Cassis, Pama, or Sloe Gin, this is one liqueur you are going to want to try.  Creme Yvette sounds like the perfect ingredient for adding fruity and floral character to a drink.

Already, to be totally  predictable, the folks at MarthaStewartLivingOnmiMedia suggest's mixing Creme Yvette with sparkling wine.  (Is there anything the editors of ML Living don't mix with sparkling wine for a "quick and easy festive drink?)"

Although initial distribution is extremely limited, (the liqueur was unveiled at New York’s Astor Wines and Spirits and sold out instantly,) Cooper Spirits has more on it's way to NYC and Los Angeles, with distribution to expand to Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts by May.

So, when will it arrive in smaller markets like Buffalo?  It's hard to tell, but if you have an interest in a taste or bottle, it would be wise to start asking your favorite bartender or liquor store manager about it now, so that they can start nagging their distributor about it.