The colour purple is said to symbolize many things: royalty, grandeur, wisdom, independence and creativity, to name a few. To me, purple signifies fantasy, it feels like a comforting escape, to suspend disbelief for a few moments.
Take the plunge and try these purple drinks from a Kensington Market bar, an Ontario craft brewery and a local closed-loop bottle delivery service specializing in oat milks and sparkling water.
El Rey’s Purple Haze Cocktail
This mezcal bar has phenomenal cocktails, but lockdown made it a bit difficult to enjoy them. Fortunately, El Rey has launched Purple Haze, its first “canned cocktail,” available for pick-up and delivery via the Kensington Market bar’s website. This royal purple cocktail is a mix of blanco tequila, Byrrh (a fortified French wine), pineapple juice, hibiscus kombucha and black peppercorns. It’s bright and refreshing with a bit of warmth from the pepper. It pairs well with tacos al pastor, barbocoa molotes, birria burritos or anything else on El Rey’s menu.
El Rey Mezcal Bar. $10.95 per 237 ml can. Get it at El Rey (2a Kensington, elreybar.com).
Collective Arts Jam Up w/ Boysenberry Blackberry
An elevated version of Collective Arts Jam Up Sour, this beer is ripe with juicy blackberries and sweet and tangy boysenberries. It has a rich red-violet hue and goes down crisp. Ideal for unwinding after a long day.
Collective Arts Brewing. $17.75 for a four-pack. Get it at Collective Arts (777 Dundas West, collectiveartsontario.com).
Lark DFF Inside Job Sparkling Water
This one is a non-alcoholic option. Lark DFF likes to make sparkling waters more fun by augmenting them with florals. Inside Job is infused with bluebelle vine and herbs, giving it a soft lavender colour. It looks almost too pretty to drink. The brand is committed to sustainability and all bottles are picked up and sterilized afterwards to be refilled and reused. You can mix and match packs (they have a whole range of augmented waters, oat milks and more).
Lark DFF. $26.70 for a crate of six 1L bottles. Get it at lark DFF (larkdff.com) or Manita (210 Ossington).
