Purple Café & Wine Bar’s Inventive Wine Cocktail List Goes Beyond the Spritzer

Purple Café & Wine Bar’s Inventive Wine Cocktail List Goes Beyond the Spritzer
Wine in Cocktails Showcased at New Bellevue Location

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(December 1, 2009)—Drawing on their vast cellar and the extensive experience of Christene Prentice, Director of Liquids for Heavy Restaurant Group, Purple Bellevue is introducing five scintillating new wine cocktails to their beverage menu.

The current cocktail culture boom shows no sign of slowing, but—sparkling notwithstanding—wine-based potent potables remain largely unexplored territory. Spritzers, Kir Royales, sangria and the French 75 have all become ubiquitous. But there’s a whole new drinks rage waiting to be discovered, and Bellevue’s Purple Café & Wine Bar is leading the way:

The Harvest Fizz ($9)
Gewürztraminer, Bellringer gin and Austrian orchard pear liqueur…
The perfect way to prepare you for the snowy slopes

The Montoya ($9)
A movie character that is forever etched in our minds…
Rich and exotic Spanish brandy, Argentine Malbec and a splash of Pedro Ximénez

Di Mora ($9)
Our wine director’s favorite… she insisted on this…
Bourbon, cabernet sauvignon, Fernet-Branca (yes, it will soothe your belly) and muddled blackberries

The Thymeless Kiss ($9)
You will not find this anywhere else…yet.
Riesling is the base here, with fresh thyme and green Chartreuse

The Karmic Sour ($9)
This cocktail is designed to give you goose pimples… hopefully, it will.
Chai-infused syrah, pisco (Peruvian un-aged brandy), lime, egg white and black pepper

Christene Prentice is the mastermind behind these innovative drinks. Prentice started with Purple Kirkland in 2003 as a wine bartender. She currently oversees all liquids for Purple (Seattle, Bellevue, Woodinville, Kirkland) and Barrio (Seattle, Bellevue).

Notes Prentice, “I wanted to bring out certain characteristics inherent to each grape, just as mixologists do with different spirits. Bolder spirits are matched with more ‘masculine’ grapes, and clear spirits with more delicate varietals. Fresh fruits, spices and herbs make these drinks a delicious food pairing alternative to a glass of wine.”

Purple Café & Wine Bar is a multifaceted food and wine concept specializing in an eclectic Northwest-inspired menu coupled with an extensive global wine selection, including 90 wines by the glass, wine flights, and hundreds more wines by the bottle. Purple is a two-time winner of Evening Magazine’s “Best of Western Washington” contest in the category of “Best Wine Bar,” and has been awarded Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” and Wine Enthusiast’s “Award of Ultimate Distinction.” In 2008 Purple was named “Best Place for Wine Tasting” and “Best Washington Wine Focused Wine Bar” by Seattle Magazine. Purple is located in downtown Bellevue at NE 4th St and 106th Ave. NE, Bellevue, Wash. (425) 502-6292.Visit www.thepurplecafe.com for hours and more information.

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In Vino Veritas!

Media Contact: Kelsey Simmons
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757 / kelsey.simmons@randallpr.com