Having scored some real Creme de Violette, I made The Blue Moon:
- 2.0 ounces gin
- 0.5 ounce Crème Yvette or crème de violette
- 0.5 ounce lemon juice
Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
I managed to find some Crème Yvette earlier in this experiment, and I used it in the Aviation. While the taste was fine, I didn’t care for the color. It’s “purple” as in “has a lot of red in it”, versus violet. So when my friend Justin managed to find a source for crème de violette, I was in.
In the book, the Aviation does not have either Crème Yvette or crème de violette, but since the name invokes sky blue most recipes include it. The Blue Moon is just an Aviation without maraschino liqueur, or with crème de violette in place of it, depending on how you like to make that drink.
Gin and lemon is a winner any day, and the addition of the floral and slightly sweet crème de violette elevates the taste even more and give the drink a dazzling violet color. It is very nice, and I’m not sure I have a preference to this drink or the Aviation made with the addition of the cherry liqueur.
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Although Tanqueray is the gin of choice for many classic bartenders, I’m not a big fan of it. However, it works well in this drink. The crème de violette comes from Rothman & Winter. Dr. Cocktail thanks Eric Seed for this in the book, as Rothman & Winter is part of Haus Alpens.