2016 has seriously sucked when it comes to losing cornerstones of my childhood. I took a break from working to hop onto Facebook and was greeted with the news that Prince had suddenly passed away. Seriously? I was just singing along to his songs in the car the other day and had a hankering to watch Purple Rain (affiliate link) for the millionth time. Now I am sad, but also felt the need to look up some Prince cocktails, in case anyone feels the need to raise a special glass to this musical legend. So, I started with the most obvious choice, Purple Rain cocktails. A quick glance on Wikipedia showed only two verisons, but when I kept digging, I found even more.
Purple Rain Cocktails
Kelsey’s Restaurant has one that looks like it could be quite dangerous, as it is described as tasting just like grape Kool-Aid. (And how appropriate would that be, to be acting like you were drinking the Kool-Aid that you were likely drinking when you first heard his music?) Vodka, raspberry liqueur, blue caracao, and then a bit of lime cordial and cranberry juice to top it off. Plus, the color is simply amazing and stunning.
The one on DrinksMixer uses a gin base, sour mix, soda water, and then enough blue caracao to make it that gorgeous purple color.
Sourz hides the alcohol identity under their brand names in this recipe, but Sourz Cherry is a cherry-flavored sour liqueur and Bols Blue is blue caracao. Take one shot of each of these and top it off with lemonade for a sweet and sour purple delight.
This one on MyBestCocktails is probably my favorite, and the easiest one for me to make. It uses half vodka and half blue caracao, topped with a bit of grenadine to help make the purple color, and then is topped off with lemon-lime soda.
The 30 Purple Rain cocktail recipe from Complete Cocktails also looks right up my alley. It starts with grape vodka, then adds a bit of cranberry juice and sour mix with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lime slice. Yum.
Cocktail Times uses a pomegranate-infused sake with some pineapple juice and Chambord in what they call the Purple Rain Martini. That one will pack a punch, for sure!
This video on About’s Cocktail site will show you how to layer vodka, wild berry martini mix, and cherry juice for a beautiful purple glow of yumminess.
Wayne at Free Recipe Hub has another fun and easy one that adds flavor in the form of peach schnapps with the blue caracao and vodka. Top it off with grenadine and lemonade. This would be perfect for the warmer weather.
And then there is this version that I found over at iDrink that is very similar to a Long Island Iced Tea. This knock-you-on-your-arse beverage just may be the way to numb the pain of Prince’s passing. You need gin, rum, tequila, vodka, and Chambord. Midnight Mixologist uses Triple Sec instead of gin and then tops it off with sour mix.
3 Yummy Tummies made one out of blueberry vodka, blue caracao, and fruit juices for a Blueberry Purple Rain Martini that was a hit even with her husband. She throws in some blueberries for a little antioxidants. Hey, that makes this one healthy, right?
If you want to let your kids participate in the mourning as you imbibe in Purple Rain cocktails and dance around the house, you can make them this mocktail from Rasoi Menu that mixes grape juice, lemon juice, strawberry crush, and Coke with a bit of vanilla ice cream. This one actually makes me reminisce about the concoctions that my elementary school best friend and I used to come up with while listening to albums such as the Purple Rain soundtrack (affiliate link).
In a way, I guess you can take any kind of purple drink or grape-flavored drink, and dedicate it to the man, even if it isn’t really Purple Rain cocktails. Whatever you want to consume, raise a glass to the man and his legacy and let me know your favorite memories (and drinks) in the comments.
Want more fun adult beverages? Follow my Drinks board on Pinterest! You can also check out the Cocktails category right here on the site, for even more cocktail ideas and round-ups.
