<3 is crème de violette what I think it is ie a violet-flavored liqueur?
anninyn+2
I am intriqued. I’ve had Creme de Menthe and Creme de Cacao but even the weird offlicense doesn’t sell Creme de Violette.
(I like parma violets and violet sweets so I assume I’d like a violet liqueur)
bustedsneakers+4
A friend uses it for “Tears In The Rain.” It is indeed a violet-flavoured liqueur. He has the finest bar in Pittsburgh in his living room and swears by the stuff.
madgehowlet+4
Who is this person and why am I not friends with him.
msjinxie+2
It IS and it’s delightful.
johnwthompson+1
Yes. I believe the first cocktail I ever had was an aviation, at Little Branch in Manhattan. I got so drunk that night
anninyn+32
Is this going to be a regular series? Cause I like the combination of art, cocktail recipes and history.
super_novice+9
Seriously. Gin and history are my two favourite things.
elsamac+7
Yesssssss. I love the tale and the art, and I’m much more likely to try the cocktail now that I’ve seen it represented like this: the color and clarity, the shape of the glass. So much more evocative than a photograph!
[disclosure: I know John Leavitt a bit, and I like him much more than a bit.]
stuffisthings+17
Floral and bitter? I’ll take that.
Death to sweet cocktails and hoppy beers.
elsamac+5
John, you’ve allllmost persuaded me to buy a bottle of créme de violette. (Smart money is on me buying a bottle for someone else, which gives me both credit for a fun present and proximity to créme de violette. Pretty canny, huh?)
thewhelk+4
I am giving you permission to buy that bottle of Creme De Violette
elsamac+3
Nooooooooo, don’t force/allow me! We have bottles upon bottles of specialty liquors! Somehow all our friends got it into their heads that we love odd liquors and liqueurs, so people keep showing up with cilantro vodka and coconut rum that just sit in our liquor cabinet, glaring at me.
(But not my friend M’s gift of The King’s Ginger. That was such a winner that I urged it on guests until it was alllllmost drunk-up, then hid the last inch or so under the sink for myself. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone.)
FionaChatwin+2
I want more of these! Old-timey cocktails are one of my interests and I have a collection of unusual liqueurs to that end.
MalloryOrtberg+31
“Steel fist in a velvet glove” is also a common expression to describe femme lesbians! THE MORE YOU KNOW
Abanthis+5
Hehe, fist.
Fear Biter
Ahhhh I really enjoyed this a lot! The Aviation is one of my all time favorite cocktails! Instead of any old creme de violette I recommend asking for/using Creme Yvette if you can get it. It is a slightly different formulation and it tastes lovely. In fact, I thought Creme Yvette was called for in the original Aviation recipe. John, do you know anything about Creme Yvette? I’ve tried to research it and the Aviation and the Blue Moon a little bit (read: desultory googling when tipsy), but there is a lot of conflicting info out there
I love a good Manhattan, but the cocktail hipsters in San Francisco have almost ruined that for me. It is fun to have some other classic and classy drink orders for impressing the professors of mixology and steampunk afficionados who have take over all my locals
thewhelk+2
Looks like Creme Yvette wasn’t available until 2010 – and I’ve never seen it on the shelf (if they have anything it’s Creme De Violette) but man it sounds great.
This calls for more research and practical experimentation.
You know, for science.
Fear Biter
Yes! I propose a drink-off and volunteer to be a taste tester! Seriously though, if you are ever in SF and want to do this, I know several bars that make KILLER aviations, though definitely with Creme De Violette.
You are right that Creme Yvette only became recently commercially available again, but it is a revival of a very old spirit. I believe the people responsible for St Germain, and the subsquent elderflower resurgence, got ahold of the proprietary recipe for Creme Yvette a few years back. Sadly, it hasn’t really caught fire in the same way as St Germain. I’ve only ever seen it in BevMo, and it is pretty spendy.
Sorry to bang on about this. All evidence to the contrary, I’m not shilling for Creme Yvette. I just love talking about this stuff. I’m the only one I know who has ever heard of the Aviation so I’m pathetically excited.
anecdata+1
I love, love Aviations! And I didn’t even have to buy the creme de violette myself: some awesome friends brought it to a cocktail once a couple of years ago, and I’m still working on the same bottle. Obviously I don’t make Aviations enough.
Real talk, though, you need those incredible Luxardo cherries. They’re amazing.
Danzig on the Toast
Yes. I believe the first cocktail I ever had was an aviation, at Little Branch in Manhattan. I got so drunk that night
octopusgallery+4
Fun fact: Some people react to the flavor chemicals of violets the same way other people do to cilantro. For them, creme de violette tastes like soap. I am sadly one of those people. :((((( Interesting, Creme Yvette does not have the same effect. Perhaps there’s less violet in it or there’s enough other things in there to make soap taste good.
FionaChatwin+1
I didn’t know this but I’m fascinated. My boyfriend has the cilantro thing so I need to try him with creme de violette!
octopusgallery+1
I don’t think it’s the same taste gene as I don’t have a problem with cilantro. But I fully endorse experiments in the name of drinking science.
lyetteann+1
Wait, the U.S. didn’t have creme de violette until 2007? Could bars buy it? Because I very distinctly remember getting genteelly bombed on aviations at least as far back as 2002.
Who is this person and why am I not friends with him.
lilyjoin+1
I love the tale and the art, and I’m much more likely to try the cocktail now that I’ve seen it represented like this: the color and clarity, the shape of the glass.
<3 is crème de violette what I think it is ie a violet-flavored liqueur?
I am intriqued. I’ve had Creme de Menthe and Creme de Cacao but even the weird offlicense doesn’t sell Creme de Violette.
(I like parma violets and violet sweets so I assume I’d like a violet liqueur)
A friend uses it for “Tears In The Rain.” It is indeed a violet-flavoured liqueur. He has the finest bar in Pittsburgh in his living room and swears by the stuff.
Who is this person and why am I not friends with him.
It IS and it’s delightful.
Yes. I believe the first cocktail I ever had was an aviation, at Little Branch in Manhattan. I got so drunk that night
Is this going to be a regular series? Cause I like the combination of art, cocktail recipes and history.
Seriously. Gin and history are my two favourite things.
Yesssssss. I love the tale and the art, and I’m much more likely to try the cocktail now that I’ve seen it represented like this: the color and clarity, the shape of the glass. So much more evocative than a photograph!
[disclosure: I know John Leavitt a bit, and I like him much more than a bit.]
Floral and bitter? I’ll take that.
Death to sweet cocktails and hoppy beers.
John, you’ve allllmost persuaded me to buy a bottle of créme de violette. (Smart money is on me buying a bottle for someone else, which gives me both credit for a fun present and proximity to créme de violette. Pretty canny, huh?)
I am giving you permission to buy that bottle of Creme De Violette
Nooooooooo, don’t force/allow me! We have bottles upon bottles of specialty liquors! Somehow all our friends got it into their heads that we love odd liquors and liqueurs, so people keep showing up with cilantro vodka and coconut rum that just sit in our liquor cabinet, glaring at me.
(But not my friend M’s gift of The King’s Ginger. That was such a winner that I urged it on guests until it was alllllmost drunk-up, then hid the last inch or so under the sink for myself. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone.)
I want more of these! Old-timey cocktails are one of my interests and I have a collection of unusual liqueurs to that end.
“Steel fist in a velvet glove” is also a common expression to describe femme lesbians! THE MORE YOU KNOW
Hehe, fist.
Ahhhh I really enjoyed this a lot! The Aviation is one of my all time favorite cocktails! Instead of any old creme de violette I recommend asking for/using Creme Yvette if you can get it. It is a slightly different formulation and it tastes lovely. In fact, I thought Creme Yvette was called for in the original Aviation recipe. John, do you know anything about Creme Yvette? I’ve tried to research it and the Aviation and the Blue Moon a little bit (read: desultory googling when tipsy), but there is a lot of conflicting info out there
I love a good Manhattan, but the cocktail hipsters in San Francisco have almost ruined that for me. It is fun to have some other classic and classy drink orders for impressing the professors of mixology and steampunk afficionados who have take over all my locals
Looks like Creme Yvette wasn’t available until 2010 – and I’ve never seen it on the shelf (if they have anything it’s Creme De Violette) but man it sounds great.
This calls for more research and practical experimentation.
You know, for science.
Yes! I propose a drink-off and volunteer to be a taste tester! Seriously though, if you are ever in SF and want to do this, I know several bars that make KILLER aviations, though definitely with Creme De Violette.
You are right that Creme Yvette only became recently commercially available again, but it is a revival of a very old spirit. I believe the people responsible for St Germain, and the subsquent elderflower resurgence, got ahold of the proprietary recipe for Creme Yvette a few years back. Sadly, it hasn’t really caught fire in the same way as St Germain. I’ve only ever seen it in BevMo, and it is pretty spendy.
Sorry to bang on about this. All evidence to the contrary, I’m not shilling for Creme Yvette. I just love talking about this stuff. I’m the only one I know who has ever heard of the Aviation so I’m pathetically excited.
I love, love Aviations! And I didn’t even have to buy the creme de violette myself: some awesome friends brought it to a cocktail once a couple of years ago, and I’m still working on the same bottle. Obviously I don’t make Aviations enough.
Real talk, though, you need those incredible Luxardo cherries. They’re amazing.
Yes. I believe the first cocktail I ever had was an aviation, at Little Branch in Manhattan. I got so drunk that night
Fun fact: Some people react to the flavor chemicals of violets the same way other people do to cilantro. For them, creme de violette tastes like soap. I am sadly one of those people. :((((( Interesting, Creme Yvette does not have the same effect. Perhaps there’s less violet in it or there’s enough other things in there to make soap taste good.
I didn’t know this but I’m fascinated. My boyfriend has the cilantro thing so I need to try him with creme de violette!
I don’t think it’s the same taste gene as I don’t have a problem with cilantro. But I fully endorse experiments in the name of drinking science.
Wait, the U.S. didn’t have creme de violette until 2007? Could bars buy it? Because I very distinctly remember getting genteelly bombed on aviations at least as far back as 2002.
Fun fact: gin and chocolate milk? Not a cocktail.
I made the drink step by step via twitter photo posts and collected it here
http://storify.com/LeavittAlone/how-to-make-an-av…
BOOM
Plus, the actual coat I drew in the comic.
also vanilla soy milk and Kahlua.
Who is this person and why am I not friends with him.
I love the tale and the art, and I’m much more likely to try the cocktail now that I’ve seen it represented like this: the color and clarity, the shape of the glass.
So funny, and makes me thirsty for that cocktail!