A pre-Prohibition gin drink reclaimed by gin-mad bartenders in the early years of the renaissance, and an early calling-card cocktail for the in-the-know crowd. Its supporters love it madly. Its detractors claim its pivotal ingredient—crème de violette—causes it to taste of hand soap.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces gin

  • 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

  • Barspoon of crème de violette or Crème Yvette

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in cocktail shaker three-quarters filled with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass.


Reprinted with permission from A Proper Drink, © 2016 by Robert Simonson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.