The man at the Liquor Store on the corner of Kalorama & Main St. is a salesman in the most real meaning of the word. He watches what you buy and expands that to help you know more about what you might want.
I cannot visit him without either walking out with more bottles than I ever intended to buy or, he talks me into buying something other than what I thought I wanted. My scorpionic nature always questions on the way home if I was taken or cajoled into something other than I want but then I research the deal he touted, "if everyone else is not selling this for twice the amount, I will buy your next bottle for free," or the rarity of the supply, "This is selling out almost as fast as I buy it, you have to try it!" as was the case for this particular product today. When I research whatever fantastical statement he made, low-and-behold, this slick salesman is always right! And I always love what he suggests.
That day I was buying milk, Grand Marnier and Haagen Dazs. He eyed my selections. "You like sweet liqueurs?" "Ehhh, Not particularly", I dismissively replied. "Ah." he said. He rang up my purchases then as he was putting them in the bag said, "It's just that I see what you are buying and there is something I think you would like. It sells out quickly, will you taste it?" Naturally, I gave in.
Amarula is a cream-based liqueur made from marula fruit of the "elephant tree", that grows only in Africa. The liqueur is made in South Africa. Not only where the fruit grows limited to that continent, it only grows from uncultivated trees and has to be harvested from the wild plains. It's full of vitamin C (important as I know everyone concerns themselves with the nutrients in their booze), and the nuts inside the fruit are used for medicinal purposes.
The shopkeeper spoke Arabic to a man in the back who rapidly appeared with a shot glass. They pulled down a bottle and gave me a taste. "It's good," I said, much like Bailey's. "Ahhh," he said. "But Bailey's is whiskey and cream and other ingredients and this is only the fruit of the marusa and cream".
I would love to do a side-by-side tasting of them but I can say this was delicious, potent and creamy. I'd be beautiful used in desserts, coffee or ice cream -- particularly warming on a foggy, overcast day.
