Black Orchid (courtesy Grey Goose Vodka)

With the  68th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show coming up this weekend (March 8–10, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at Earl Warren Showgrounds), I think a bouquet of orchid cocktails is certainly in order to celebrate this event.

Grey Goose Vodka (which I just happen to have a bottle of in the pantry) has a delicious version of the Black Orchid, made with Grey Goose L’Orange, fresh lemon, crème de violette, simple syrup and peach bitters.

Absolut has a similarly violet-hued Orchid Cocktail, using gin rather than vodka, along with violet liqueur and an egg white. Not only is it pretty, but it’s got some protein in there for good measure.

The Parisian Orchid Cocktail from She Knows Food & Recipes features vodka, St. Germain Elderberry Liqueur, fresh lemon juice and pineapple juice. Sounds delicious!

The Golden Orchid, from Cocktail Times, is made with cognac, orange liqueur and orange juice to create a yummy citrus-colored libation. So pretty!

Orchids seem to go with just about every kind of liquor, including rum. This Black Orchid Shooter recipe from DrinkSecret.com features Bacardi Black Rum, along with grenadine, blue curacao, and cranberry juice.

Though the orchids are primarily used as garnish and for beautiful color inspiration in these cocktails, many orchids are edible. Just keep in mind, I said “edible” and not “palatable.” Unless you’re dying to eat them, I recommend you stick with the liquid part of the cocktail and keep the garnish to adorn your outfit with!

P.S: Writing a column about cocktails is not just about drinking, it’s also educational. In the course of  my research, I came across this interesting orchid tidbit: The class of orchids known as bifolate cattleya are sometimes referred to as “Cocktail orchids” because of their smaller size as compared to the standard unifoliate cattleya.

Cheers!
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Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on March 8, 2013.