The following is an extended version of the article that appears in our April 2021 issue.
The Drone Mothership at Amber Ox Public House (Photo courtesy Amber Ox Public House)
Spring is in the air, and before the pollen invades, let’s take a spirited moment to appreciate the subtle flavors flowers can bring to mixology.
The Aviation, a timeless cocktail first published in Hugo Ensslin’s “Recipes for Mixed Drinks,” and made with gin, creme de violette, maraschino liqueur and lemon juice, is one polarizing example of a floral cocktail. A stunning sky blue, its flavors are reminiscent of a blooming meadow — but if poorly balanced, the end result can be purple and taste like soap.
There really is something magical about this time of year, with new growth filling our days with a bouquet of promise — and adding a little color and fragrance to our spirits.
Fortified Foraging
Former General Manager Katy Best always put a seasonal G&T on the drink list at Alewife. Still available on the menu, her latest iteration includes elderflower liqueur and jasmine buds. Light and crisp, gently floral and eminently drinkable, find it on draft and in cans.
Even in springtime, Blue Atlas Beverage Director Melissa Lucas is still a whiskey girl at heart, but she can’t resist the call of rosehips. Lucas makes a simple syrup with rose-rooibos tea, building it into a Manhattan variation she calls the Nylund (named for Betty White’s “Golden Girls” character Rose Nylund).
For Zack Maher, bar manager at Amber Ox Public House in Williamsburg, the color and concept of the Aviation are more compelling than the actual ingredients themselves. His hyperlocal variation, called Drone Mothership, uses a honey-based gin that he infuses with lavender and pea flowers to impart a more gentle, natural floral element and purple color.
Classic Aviation
Ensslin’s original Aviation called for 2:1 gin and lemon juice with just two dashes of maraschino and creme de violette, respectively. In all my years bartending, I never met a guest who would appreciate quite that degree of sour heat, so this recipe is adjusted for the modern palate.
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Maraschino Liqueur
Scant 1/4 ounce creme de violette
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a brandied cherry. Optional: add a sunny yellow lemon twist.
Drone Mothership
Zack Maher, Amber Ox
For those who love the idea of the Aviation cocktail but don’t love the cloying character of maraschino liqueur, Zack Maher’s version instead uses a seasonal Virginia vermouth to undergird the lavender. The result still has that blue-sky depth, but more subtlety in tone and texture, which makes it a perennial favorite on his cocktail menu.
Drone Mothership
1 1/2 ounces lavender/pea flower Barr Hill Gin
3/4 ounce Flying Fox vermouth (batch 20.03)
1/2 ounce honey (diluted 1:1 with water)
1/4 ounce lemon-ginger oleo saccharum
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain and pour into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lavender sprig.
For the lavender/pea flower gin:
1 bottle Barr Hill gin
1/4 cup dried pea flowers
10 sprigs French lavender
Combine and infuse overnight, giving it a good shake every half hour for the first couple hours. Strain through cheesecloth.
For the lemon-ginger oleo saccharum:
Thinly peel five to seven lemons (minimizing the white pith) and chop. Peel a thumb-sized piece of ginger and finely chop. Combine in a sealable container with an equal weight of sugar. Macerate overnight, shaking the container occasionally. The sugar will draw out the citrus oil and dissolve into a bright syrup.
The Nylund
Melissa Lucas, Blue Atlas
Melissa Lucas has long been enchanted by Rose Nylund from "The Golden Girls." So when she discovered Carytown Tea’s Provence Rooibos tea with rosehips and petals, she knew she was going to turn it into a Manhattan variation named for the feisty character played by Betty White — also a lifelong whiskey girl.
For the cocktail, Melissa splits the rye base with cognac, to soften the delivery and meld with the raisin character of the tea. The result is pleasantly floral and smooth, like strolling through a sunny rose garden.
The Nylund
1 ounce Templeton Rye
1/2 ounce St. Remy VSOP Brandy
1/4 ounce Carpano Antica Vermouth
1/2 ounce Provence Rooibos simple
1/4 ounce rose water
5 drops Fee Brothers Orange Bitters
Combine ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain and pour into a chilled Nick & Nora glass (or a coupe). Garnish with an orange twist.
For the Provence Rooibos simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Carytown Teas Provence Rooibos tea
1/2 cup honey
Steep tea in 198° water for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (or coffee filter) into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir in honey and reduce for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally. Chill in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Paul Blumer is a writer and emeritus craft bartender.
