Purple Rain can refer to many things; a South Korean rock band, a 1989 anti-apartheid protest or even a Roller Derby Team from Dayton Ohio! However, you’ll most likely know it as the title track on the sixth studio album by the iconic singer-songwriter Prince. Released on June 25th, 1984, Purple Rain cemented Prince’s legacy as a musical sensation. Shooting to the top of the Billboard 200 record chart and earning him a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
According to legend, Prince celebrated the album’s release by developing his own Purple Rain cocktail while partying at Minneapolis’s First Avenue nightclub. This magenta beverage was a variation on the Long Island Iced Tea, substituting ginger ale or soda for the bitters and Chambord for the coke. Unfortunately, this story is almost certainly a fabricated piece of Prince lore. According to Dan Piepenberg, the writer and editor who worked on Prince’s memoirs, he was never mixing drinks at First Avenue, he was only ever there to perform.
Still, given Purple Rain’s legacy as one of the greatest albums of all time it’s well worth celebrating the anniversary with a glass of Purple Rain. This cocktail has many variants and alternative ingredients but the common issue when mixing one is getting the colour right. This is why the recipe calls for grenadine, but use too much and it will quickly lead to a sickly-sweet taste that can easily overpower the spirits. My own first attempt at making a Purple Rain resulted in more of grim dark blue rather than the luminescent purple that truly evokes the spirit of Prince. Perhaps the artist was onto something with the decision to add raspberry liquor to the mix.
Here’s a fabulous recipe from Jack Wakelin via the BBC that you can’t go wrong with:
Ingredients:
30ml/1oz premium gin
30ml/1oz premium vodka
15ml/1 tbsp grenadine
15ml/1 tbsp blue curaçao
15ml/1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
15ml/1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
soda water
lemon slices, to garnish (optional)
Method
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour all the ingredients except the soda water and lemon slices into the shaker and shake vigorously for around 10 seconds. Strain the mixture into a tall glass full of fresh ice and top with the soda water to taste. Gently stir to mix and garnish with a lemon slice or two.
Whether you’re a Prince fan or just chasing the perfect purple pour, this cocktail delivers showstopping flair in every sip. It’s a fun, vibrant tribute with just the right edge - much like the artist himself. Raise a glass, and let it rain. For more cocktail recipes, click here!
