The first ‘historic’ cocktail I made when I began this journey into the world of mixology at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. Created back in the early 1900s, the drink has fallen a little out of favor owing to a very floral-forward taste profile. Some suggest dropping the Creme de Violette down to a barspoon.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
-
2 oz. London Dry gin - or experiment with 'New World' gin of your choice
-
.25 oz. Creme de Violette
-
.25 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
-
.25 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
-
Garnish: Maraschino cherry
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Lemon twist
Instructions
- Place ingredients in shaking tin
- Fill with ice, shake for 15 seconds until outside of tin is frosty.
- Double-strain into chilled coupe glass.
- Use a barspoon to lower a Luxardo cherry into bottom of glass
- Express lemon twist over the top to release it's oils then discard.
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Oh boy is this one a revelation – and possibly my favorite cocktail of all time. This is a bona fide gateway drug to introduce anyone to bourbon and amari. It’s an equal-parts cocktail, essentially a riff on the Last Word. It features Amaro Nonino Quintessentia, an Italian amaro with a grappa base, and notes of botanicals, alpine herbs, and orange peel. In a pinch, Amaro Montenegro is a good substitute.
Although the drink seems like it came out of the heyday of pre-Prohibition bar culture, it was actually invented in 2008 by award-winning bartender Sam Ross (who also created the Penicillin). The drink first appeared on the opening menu of The Violet Hour in Chicago, a bar where Ross was consulting. It was so popular in Chicago that he brought it back to his bar Milk & Honey in New York City and the rest is history.
The M.I.A. hit Paper Plane was the inspiration for the name, and the drink was garnished with a tiny paper airplane. Ross recommends a higher-proof bourbon and warns not to overshake the drink; it’s easy to over dilute.
You can also try substituting grapefruit juice for lemon to make the Esprit d’Escalier or replace bourbon with tequila for the Avion de Papel.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
-
3/4 oz. Bourbon (barrel-proof preferred)
-
3/4 oz. Aperol
-
3/4 oz. Amaro Nonino
-
3/4 oz. lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in shaker
- Shake 15 seconds to combine & dilute.
- Double strain into chilled coupe.
Notes
Created by legendary bartender Sam Ross from NYC's now-defunct Milk and Honey.
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Photos, musings and miscellany – New and Improved!
