Category: Classic Cocktails

The Kir Royale is a popular French cocktail and a variation of the Kir (a cocktail I was not aware of the existence of until I started researching the Kir Royale).  As mentioned in our review of Marie Brizard Creme de Dijon, this cocktail is one of the simplest and most well known ways to enjoy creme de cassis.  The berry flavor, citrusy wine flavors mixed with tiny bubbles, and the ease of making a Kir Royale also explain the popularity of this cocktail for brunches, showers, and just chilling in your backyard.

Kir Royale

Kir Royale

½ oz

Creme de Cassis

5 oz

Sparkling Wine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon wedge or wheel.

If you love Creme de Cassis or just brambly sparkling wines, than the Kir Royale is right up your alley.   The acidity of the wine helps balance out the rich, syrupy nature of the Creme de Cassis, giving it a beautiful freshness not present in the liqueur.  The citrus notes of the wine merge well with the berries, giving an impression of freshness.  As it lingers, the blackcurrant flavor moves more toward jam, finishing with a balanced berry-citrus close.

Drink Notes and Recommendations:

The Kir Royale is one of the simplest cocktails featuring only two ingredients.  Like other two ingredient cocktails,  that means there’s no where to hide faults.

• Creme de Cassis – This is the active flavor modifier, so you should seek out one that has more complexity.  You could use a bottom shelf dekupyer, but expect to have a more syrupy flavor.  We recommend Marie Brizard Creme de Dijon.
• Sparkling Wine – There’s no reason to go overboard here, you can get away with a $10 – $15 bottle.  Once you pass $20 you’re going to see diminishing returns.  We recommend Segura Viudas, Korbel, or Kirkland’s Signature Prosecco.  Make sure it’s chilled!

Much like the Kentucky Derby is strongly associated with the Mint Julep, the official cocktail of The Preakness is not actually it’s namesake.  The cocktail that actually bears the name The Preakness is named for the ball that occurred near by in 1936.  To the best of anyone’s knowledge it seemed it never made its way to the racetrack, but was voted the cocktail of the Preakness Ball by eight judges.   The actual official cocktail is the Black Eyed Susan, a mixture of vodka, bourbon, peach schnapps, orange juice, and/or sour mix.  Just on paper, I know which I’d prefer.

The Preakness

The Preakness

1 ½ oz

Rye-Forward Bourbon

¼ oz

Benedictine

¾ oz

Sweet Vermouth

1 Dash

Aromatic Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

A Manhattan with Benedictine is what it looks like on paper, and unsurprisingly what it tastes like.  The spicy notes are helpful in complimenting some of the spices and herbal notes in the Benedictine.  Just like the Manhattan the acidity from the vermouth helps elevate everything.  Overall, the Preakness is a pretty cocktail that’s not a significant step off a Manhattan, but a welcome one.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Preakness is unsurprising giving the era it comes from.  One of the key elements here is to focus on making sure your bourbon is heavy on the rye, or just use rye instead.

• Bourbon / Rye –  The original was supposedly made with a Maryland rye originally.   As most people wouldn’t have access to this, look for rye such as Rittenhouse or rye forward bourbons like Wild Turkey 101 or Old Grand Dad 114.
• Vermouth – I recommend Carpano Antica or your favorite.
• Bitters – Angostura are recommended, but feel free to substitute your favorite aromatic bitters.
• Benedictine – There is no substitute here – if you don’t have it, you can’t make this.

The Derby is not a particularly well known cocktail, and comes from a time period where cocktails were named after champions in the horse races.  The affinity of the sport and cocktails continues to the day with the prominence of the Mint Julep.  If you want to reach back, and give something a little more historical a try this Derby Day, why not bet on a long shot and try The Derby?

The Derby

The Derby

1 oz

Bourbon

½ oz

Sweet Vermouth

½ oz

Orange Curacao

¾ oz

Lime Juice

1

Mint Leaf

Combine all ingredients except mint leaf in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.

The Derby is a dry, yet well balanced prohibition style cocktail that highlights a diverse selection of ingredients having something of a free style jazz session. The first sip highlights the brightness from the lime and vermouth before giving way into the sweeter notes of spice and orange. The bourbon notes come in toward tail end to crank the spice just a little higher, while adding a slightly tannic finish. Overall, the drink is really well composed if a little intense.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Derby is one of the most standardized obscure cocktails I’ve run across.  The general consensus follows the exact proportions we used here.  The only variation I’ve seen was in the use of Grand Marnier in place of orange curacao.  This could work with some of the darker profiles, but isn’t the standard recipe.

• Bourbon – Any standard bourbon will work here, but you might steer away from wheated bourbons.  A spicier note helps here.  We used Wild Turkey 101.
• Lime Juice – Use fresh squeezed as always.
• Orange Curacao – Our gold standard here is Cointreau, and what we recommend.
• Sweet Vermouth – Our go to is Carpano Antica, the spice notes in it will compliment well.  Lighter vermouths may be over powered by the lime.
• Garnish – The mint leaf should be fresh, and adds a nice freshness to the nose.  Slap it before placing it in the cocktail.
• Glassware – I recommend a chilled coupe here.

Although purportedly named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns, the Bobby Burns has undergone several revisions in it’s history to make that hard to see.  Originally made with Benedictine and Irish Whiskey, the recipe gradually evolved, substituting the two for scotch and Drambuie.  This resulting combination makes the Bobby Burns No. 2 a must try for any lover of a Manhattan.

To differentiate these two variations (as well as a purported third that included Maraschino Liqueur), we’ve labeled this variation as Bobby Burns No. 2.

Bobby Burns No. 2

Bobby Burns No. 2

2 oz

Scotch

¾ oz

Sweet Vermouth

¼ oz

Drambuie

Dash

Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a Nick & Nora Glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Bobby Burns No. 2 is clearly a Manhattan cousin, but many of the spicy oak elements are replaced with floral and nutty scotch elements as well as hints of orange and honey from the Drambuie.  While the vermouth provides a similar underpinning (and works well), the scotch takes the lead here, giving a nice elegance to the drink.  Fans of scotch and manhattans should give this a try, as it splits the difference in a wonderful way.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Bobby Burns No.2  is a Manhattan cousin in everyway, almost down to the proportions.  Replacing 1/4 ounce of the vermouth with Drambuie gives you the formula.  Having tasted both this, and the original Bobby Burns, I come down on the side of this rendition, finding the scotch base in Drambuie is more in sync with the general feel of the drink.

• Scotch:  You could go all out here and buy a crazy elegant single malt.  In all likelihood, you’ll want to stay somewhere in the balanced blend to low end single malts for this drink.  We used Glenlivet 12 here, but Chivas Regal, Dewars, or Johnnie Walker Red (Black will likely be too smoky) will all work here.
• Sweet Vermouth:  Spice isn’t as important here, so while Carpano Antica is what we used (and recommend), Cocchi di Torino will work here equally as well – emphasizing some of the caramelized notes.
• Drambuie:  I wish I could tell you there’s a substitute for this delightful liqueur, but I haven’t found it.  On the consolation side of things, if you’re a big scotch fan this is a necessity for Rusty Nails and goes beautifully with many scotches.
• Bitters:  Angostura is the recommendation, but feel free to experiment – these will help give you a twist.
• Garnish: A lemon twist is recommended, however this is a generally forgiving template.  Orange will compliment the Drambuie, and if you must, slip some cherries in for funsies.
• Glassware:  The original glass is a Martini glass – but bollocks on that – use a Nick & Nora or Coupe and save yourself the hassle.

Named after a luxury train that ran from New York to Chicago, the 20th Century is a classic cocktail that sounds rather strange on paper.  Made of gin, Kina Lillet,  white creme de cacao, and lemon juice, you might be tempted to run.  Juniper, with chocolate?  Blasphemy!  And yet, somehow, it really just works…

20th Century

20th Century

1 ½ oz

London Dry Gin

¾ oz

White Creme de Cacao

¾ oz

Cocchi Americano

¾ oz

Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a coupe. No garnish.

The 20th Century Cocktail is sweet, earthy, and well balanced.  The lemon and Cocchi Americano add a nice amount of brightness to the drink, helping to keep it lively.  The earthiness of the Cacao shines through without being a bully.  This reflects well off the bitterness in the Cocchi Americano.  Ironically, the gin is the item here that is so in sync with everything else that it almost becomes background.  In total, the 20th Century is a gorgeous drink that deserves your consideration.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

There’s a fair amount of consensus regarding the 20th Century, with only a couple of points of digression.  None of them are massive, so stick to the template, and things will keep rolling down the tracks.

• Gin:  London Dry is the standard for this drink.  We recommend (and used) Beefeaters
• White Creme de Cacao:  White Creme de Cacao is generally clear, and lighter in it’s flavors.  We used Giffard Creme de Cacao White here, although you could use Marie Brizard.
• Cocchi Americano:  Originally made with Kina Lillet, this is the biggest point of differentiation between recipes (with some calling for Lillet Blanc).  While you can use Lillet Blanc, I believe the Cocchi Americano’s slight bitterness is helpful here.
• Lemon Juice:  Use fresh squeezed as always.
• Garnish:  No Garnish
• Glassware:  A chilled coupe here is the go to standard.

Google Barbara West Cocktail, and you’ll learn two things:

1. No one has any idea why this cocktail is named Barbara West
2. Most people don’t find this cocktail particularly memorable.

Like many obscure cocktails, these aren’t exactly positive signs.  So what goes in to this classic cocktail, and should you bother making one?

Barbara West

Barbara West

2 oz

Gin

1 oz

Sherry

½ oz

Lemon Juice

1 Dash

Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Tasting the cocktail, it becomes somewhat evident why Barbara West (or the Creole cocktail with bitters) isn’t particularly loved.  While the sherry provides a beautiful nuttiness, the lemon is a pretty sharp kick in the pants.   The gin kind of just is.  The bitters ties the whole thing together, and the perception ends up somewhere in the realm of, ‘that’s a cocktail’.

Drink Notes & Recommendations:

The biggest recommendation I can make for the Barbara West is to consider the sweetness level of your sherry.  Most individuals suggest using some form of dry sherry (Amontillado, Manzanilla, etc), but one of the core struggles I have with this cocktail in this form is the lack of component to balance the brightness.  Both the sherry and the lemon add a fair amount of acidity, and sweetness would go a long way toward tempering that.  Sherries like  Oloroso, Cream Sherry, and Pedro Ximenez also add more complexity and typically raisined fruit flavors.   This will greatly change the dynamic of the cocktail, and offer new ways for the bitters and gin to interact.

• Gin – London Dry is the recommendation – we used Beefeaters here.
• Sherry – This is probably the single biggest decision you can make.  A fino or amontillado will add nuttiness but very little to no sweetness.  An Oloroso or Pedro Ximenez sherry will add more complexity and sweetness.
• Lemon – Use fresh squeezed lemon juice.
• Bitters – Angostura would be standard here.

If there is any cocktail that Irish whiskey is clearly linked to, it’s Irish Coffee.  It’s a simple drink, but one that depends on the quality of it’s ingredients to make it really shine.  Fortunately, most of the ingredients are readily accessible and probably around your home right now.

Irish Coffee

Whether you’re looking to kick start your St. Patrick’s day or round out the evening, Irish Coffee makes a lovely balanced option.

Irish Coffee

4 oz

Fresh Brewed Coffee

1 ½ oz

Irish Whiskey

½ oz

Simple Syrup

2 oz

Whipped Cream

In a glass coffee mug, add Irish whiskey, Simple Syrup, and Fresh Brewed Coffee. Using the back of a bar spoon, layer the whipped cream over the top of the coffee mixture.

Irish Coffee is classic for so many reasons, not the least of which is the presentation. The beautiful layer of white cream set against the dark, rich coffee is beautiful and inviting. The notes of the whiskey come through enticingly on each sip, mixing perfectly with the coffee to give it a little extra in terms of fruity and woody notes. By making the cream fresh, you pick up additional richness, a creaminess, and a nice counterbalance to the sweetness of the coffee.

Drink Notes and Recommendations

So much of Irish Coffee comes down to your ingredients.  Ironically, the while the whiskey is important, the other ingredients require more care to ensure a great experience:

• Irish Whiskey – The big thing here is you’re going to want to use a whiskey you enjoy drinking on it’s own.  One of the reasons is that as alcohol gets warm, it gets increasingly noticeable.  If you find the experience of your Irish Coffee to hot (in terms of alcohol) or aggressive flavor wise, consider reducing it.  It won’t hurt the flavor as much as you think.  We used The Dubliner is the pictured version.
• Coffee –  Use a fresh brewed pot of coffee or single serve portion.  The longer you allow the coffee to sit (especially on a warmer), the more it will begin to oxidize and breakdown.  For the best experience, use freshly roasted and ground beans and an SCA certified coffeemaker.
• Simple Syrup – This is an area of your Irish coffee that you should experiment with.  While you can use just normal 1 to 1 white sugar to water syrup, you should also consider using demerara or brown sugar simple syrups.  Add a flavor like vanilla for bonus fun.
• Whipped Cream –
  • This is one of the trickiest part of making this drink.  An upright mixer or handheld cream beater is your best friend.  The trick is to beat the cream when it’s both fresh and cold, and stop regularly to check the consistency.  You’re looking for something flows, not a firm peak like you’d top your ice cream with.  It’s almost lightly whipped.
  • To layer, place the spoon with it’s back up and tip touching the side of the glass at the level of the coffee.  Slowly pour the cream over the spoon to layer.
• Glassware – Glass mugs are one of the preferred ways to serve Irish Coffee due to the wow level of the presentation.   Don’t let this stop you from serving it in a mug though, it tastes just as good!
• Garnish – While there doesn’t need to be anything else added, feel free to dust with chocolate shavings or fresh ground nutmeg for a little something more.

Looking to find a test vehicle for Irish Whiskey led me to pore over many of the cocktail books in my collection.  The result was barely a handful of drinks, over half of which were Irish Coffee.  However, at least two books called out a Blackthorn (Irish Version).  Although there seems to be no consistent recipe, the base ingredients always contained Irish Whiskey, Absinthe, and Bitters with either dry or sweet vermouth.  So is it worth digging out this forgotten classic?

Blackthorn (Irish Version)

Blackthorn (Irish Version)

1 oz

Irish Whiskey

1 oz

Sweet Vermouth

0.25 oz

Absinthe or Herbsaint

3 Dashes

Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Strain into a coupe. No garnish.

The Blackthorn (Irish Version) is nothing short of completely wild.   Bitter, bold, sweet, fruity – this cocktail is in your face from beginning to end.   The sweet vermouth, bitters, and absinthe work in delightful harmony, and somehow the Irish whiskey manages to just flow with them.  You won’t particularly notice it, but it also somehow adds character.  One thing is for sure, this is not a traditionally balanced cocktail, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Drink Notes & Recommendations:

The Blackthorn (Irish Version) is one of the cocktails that seems to have no obvious construction.  The above recipe is to the specs of Philip Greene in his book The Manhattan:  The Story of the First Modern Cocktail*.   However, as he notes, there are also iterations of this drink that feature sloe gin and absinthe.    Other variation of this drink include dry vermouth with no sweet, no sweet and just dry, or orange bitters.  The proportions range from 1 to 1 to 2 to 1 to perfect ratios of vermouth to whiskey.  The entire drink is confused.

So how should you make it?  I think the answer is it depends.  I’m going to argue this is a template style drink that you should tailor toward your palate.  If you like Manhattans, try cranking the whiskey up to 2 to 1 and drop the absinthe to a rinse.   Prefer a more aromatic drink?  Make it 1 to 1.  Want something dry, skip the sweet vermouth, add dry vermouth.

• Irish Whiskey – I used Jameson here to get a baseline.  It plays second fiddle in a 1:1 ratio.  Use your preferred brand, but bare in mind an even ratio will depend less on the quality of the Irish Whiskey
• Sweet Vermouth –  Carpano Antica has a nice mix of sweetness, fruit, and spice.  It works particular well here and remains our recommendation.
• Absinthe – Although it’s expensive, St. George Absinthe Verte is amazingly deep, rich, and balanced.  Despite the strong flavors, it allows the other ingredients space to breath and accentuate their flavors.  If you don’t have it, feel free to use whatever Absinthe or Herbsaint you have on hand.
• Bitters – I used Angostura here, but the original recipe calls for Boker’s.  Fear not though, Ango works fine here.
• Glassware –  The wash line is going to come up short with the ratio of the recipe, but a coupe will work just fine.

* – This post contains an affiliate link that we might receive a commission from if you make a purchase.  This helps us to keep testing drinks and bottles to give you great cocktail advice!

One of Ann Marie’s favorite cocktails is a Margarita.  They’re simple enough that you can order one in any respectable bar, but also have a depth of flavor that belies their simplicity.  Needing only four common ingredients, you may have all the necessary things to make one of America’s favorite cocktails laying around your house right now.

Margarita

Margarita

2 oz

Blanco Tequila

¾ oz

Cointreau

1 oz

Lime Juice

¼ oz

Simple Syrup

Salt

for Rim (optional)

Sprinkle salt on a plate. Using the lime to rim a rocks glass, roll the edge of the glass through the salt. In a shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake with ice. Add fresh ice to the rocks glass that you have rimmed with salt, and double strain into the rocks glass.

The Margarita is an iconic cocktail for good reason. Striking a beautiful balance between the bright lime juice and herbaceous tequila, the subtle notes of orange compliment the lively character and subtle sweetness.   It refreshes the palate while invitingly suggesting the drinker indulge in another sip.

Drink Notes and Recommendations

We’ve spent a lot of time playing with Margaritas and as a result we’re learned a few things.  While the template is infinitely riffable, there are somethings that work out better than others.

• Tequila – We’ve found 100% agave, blanco tequilas are your best bet.  Don’t bother with Mixto, the quality loss is so significant that the spirit won’t balance within the drink.  Aged (repasado and anejo) can be used, but some of the bright, crisp, simple refreshing flavors will get muddled with the darker notes of wood from aging.  Our house tequila is Olmeca Altos Plata (and what we used here) but we also maintain a full list of our recommended tequilas if you want to jazz it up.
• Cointreau – This is a rabbit hole and half.  In short, Cointreau works amazing.  You can get away with Triple Sec, but it won’t be as good.  Gran Marnier and Dry Curacao are different animals entirely in this application – and should not be a starting point.
• Lime Juice – Always use fresh squeezed for the best possible result.
• Simple Syrup / Agave Nectar – There are those who say this is a big difference, but I find there to be minimal gains from Agave.  That said, either works well here.
• Salt – This really can help amp up a margarita, but don’t feel that you’re compelled to have it.  Want the best of both worlds?  Rim half the glass using a plate with salt and rubbing a lime around the edge of the glass before rolling it in the salt.
• Ice – Unlike most situations, a bit of ongoing dilution isn’t the end of the world for a well made margarita.  If you have decently sized ice cubes, feel free to use those or try a large rock.  That said, on the rocks is the appropriate way to enjoy a Margarita.

…What about those crazy glasses that look like upside down sombreros?

In short, those glasses are at best novelties, and at worst too large for the cocktail and hard to drink out of.   A margarita doesn’t require fancy glassware to be enjoyed, simple use a rocks glass with some fresh ice.  If you’re super lazy, you can even dirty dump your margarita (no strain – no fresh ice), and enjoy it all the same.

… and that Mix in the Plastic Bottles?

Stop! Don’t!  That beautiful, perfectly balanced drink is calling out for the amazing fresh oils, acids, and juices of a real lime!  Adding cheap shortcut giant grocery store mixers is like bringing home a Warhol and finger-painting on top of it to improve it.  Just don’t do it!

The Margarita is one of our drinks you can make with our Recommended Bottles for Beginning A Home Bar.  If you’re looking for a list of drinks you can make with the basics, or recommendations of liquors, be sure to check it out!

A modern classic invented by Dale DeGroff at the Rainbow Room, The Fitzgerald is a beautifully simple riff on a gin sour.  Adjusting the template with just a hint of angostura bitters, the drink takes on a slightly pinkish hue, and adds some complexity.  Like all drinks, the name is reportedly something of a happy accident, where the “Gin Thing” was renamed by a more literary minded patron into the Fitzgerald. As it turns out in shooting this picture, I have lost my copy of the Great Gatsby somewhere along the line.

The Fitzgerald

The Fitzgerald

2 oz

Gin

0.75 oz

Simple Syrup

0.75 oz

Lemon Juice

2 Dashes

Angostura Bitters

1

Lemon Wedge Garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon wedge or wheel.

The Fitzgerald is without a doubt a sour in template, and features bright lemon notes skillfully layered over foundations of herbaceous gin and spiced bitters.  The net effect is a simple yet satisfying cocktail that’s gives you just a bit more than you’re expecting.  Be forewarned though, those sensitive to acid will find this drink rather punchy.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

If you read about this drink, you’ll find a wealth of divergent viewpoints on how to best construct it.  While some will suggest that you need an ounce and a half of gin, other will recommend two.  In testing, I found a higher value worked better.  This helped give some space to the lemon, which even at three-quarters of an ounce, is something nearing bracing.  Other recipes have suggested counterbalancing this with more sugar.  Beyond three-quarters of an ounce, I found this drink was veering into cloying.

In addition, at least one recipe calls for a rocks glass – with no rocks.  I could see drinking this over ice, but why you would place it in a rocks glass without ice is beyond me.

As always, feel free to disregard this advice, and make to your taste from the guideline.

Finally, disregard the comically large lemon in the photo.  This works out as badly as it seems.  It floats where you don’t want, and generally intrudes.  If you must, use a wedge.

• Gin – Beefeater is our choice, but any London Dry Gin will do.
• Lemon Juice – Use fresh squeezed as always.
• Simple Syrup – A traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple is most often used here.
• Garnish – Avoid the giant lemon wheel.  A wedge is sufficient – do not float.
• Glassware – I recommend a chilled coupe here.
• Random Fun Thought – This reminds me of the lemon ice I’d eat as a kid on the playground.

When asked if he drinks Vespers for the bitterness, James Bond states that once you taste a Vesper, you’ll never drink anything else.  While there’s no debate that you can no longer make Vesper in the original way (Kina Lillet is lost to history), there’s still a misconception about shaking Martinis and, by associations, Vespers.   Let’s settle the debate before talking about the absolutely stunning drink that is the Vesper. You stir.

The Vesper

The Vesper

1.5 oz

London Dry Gin

.75 oz

Vodka

.75 oz

Cocchi Americano or Kina Lillet

1

Lemon Twist

Combine all ingredients except the lemon twist in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Double strain into a chilled martini glass or Nick & Nora. Express the lemon over the drink and place on the rim.

Clean, crispy, citrusy, and gently herbal, the Vesper is a beautifully balanced cousin to the Martini.   The subtle sweet and bitter notes of the Cocchi Americano flow beautifully with the crisp notes of angelica and juniper coming the gin. The body is silky smooth, yet also somewhat light.  The progression from bright citrus to juniper to quinine like bitterness is both classic and elegant in all the right ways.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Vesper is built on a fairly straightforward template, and there’s not a lot of elements to get in the way.  With that simplicity comes the need that the ingredients chosen quality ingredients.

• Gin –  I prefer a smoother, less aggressive gin in this application.  Our preference is Plymouth Gin, but most London dry gins will do just fine.
• Vodka –  The fact this drink can so closely resemble silk on the palate is part of the reason I prefer a higher end, smoother vodka in this application.  Absolut Elyx is our go to, but feel free to play around with other wheat and rice based vodkas.  Anything will work, but things you would like to sip work better.
• Cocchi Americano –  As of writing this, I’m not aware of a substitute for Cocchi Americano.  If needed, you could use Lillet Blanc, however, it will lack the bitterness.
• Glassware – This drink is appropriate in a Nick & Nora or a Martini glass.
• Random Fun Pairing – I happen to love a Vesper with a nice plate of sushi finding the clean, citrusy flavor compliments the fish.

The Aviation is a classic cocktail dating back to pre-prohibition times.  Due to the difficulty of finding Creme Yvette and Creme De Violette, the Aviation fell out of favor, and only began to regain it’s popularity with the resurgence of prohibition style cocktails.  Now it’s pretty easy to at least come across creme de violette either at the liquor store or the bar, and if you do, an Aviation is worth a try.

The Aviation

The Aviation

2 oz

London Dry Gin

.75 oz

Lemon Juice

.5 oz

Maraschino Liqueur

.25 oz

Creme de Violette

1

Cherry

Combine all ingredients except the cherry in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry.

The Aviation is one of my favorite prohibition cocktails.  The striking balance between the herbal character of the gin and the spicy character of the maraschino is complimented by the brightness of the lemon.  The final pop of the violet comes through – giving a pretty floral ending to this blue hued classic.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

When I first encountered this drink, there would be common variation where the Creme de Violette was poured with a layering spoon into the bottom of the glass.  For the love of all that is good in cocktails, please spare yourself this unbalanced mess of a cocktail.  I will readily admit I’ve done it, but it doesn’t add anything other than aesthetics, and instead makes the drink less balanced.  Ultimately, it becomes a shot of floral syrup hiding at the bottom of your drink.

The original calls for Creme de Yvette.  This previously defunct liqueur is still not widely available, but if you can find it, I’ve heard it’s worth the hunt.  There is more complexity and berry notes than straight violette.

• Gin – Sacrilege though it maybe, I wouldn’t be opposed to some Old Tom Gin in mine.  That said, your favorite London Dry Gin will do just fine.  We use Beefeater here.
• Maraschino Liqueur –  Although I am certain other brands exist, Luxardo is our go to.  Becareful, over pour and this cherry spiced liqueur becomes a bully.
• Violet Liqueur / Yvette  – Just like Maraschino, the odds of this becoming a bully from overpouring are significant, so be gentle.  From a brands perspective my favorite is the Bitter Truth, but Rothman & Winter is great as well.
• Lemon Juice – As always, squeeze your own.