Jon has taken to reading cocktail recipe books like novels lately, and making lists of everything he wants to try. Inevitably, there’s some ingredient we just don’t have and can’t get locally. Our area liquor stores have some interesting stuff, but when I asked for Creme de Violette at the Burlington store I got an extremely blank look. We had to make a special trip to the Capitol Hill liquor store (where the clerk accused us of buying stuff off of the “fancy-pants” shelf) to get a bottle.

The drink I really wanted to try with the Violette was an Aviation Cocktail, but it wasn’t until we made it by the Crown Hill liquor store that we managed to score some Maraschino liqueur and I was able to try one. I thought it was disgusting – apparently I don’t have a taste for Maraschino as yet. Fortunately, in the meantime Jon had found a recipe for another drink that I ended up loving, called the Deep Blue Sea.

Now, I just did a Google search and discovered a lot of really icky-sounding drinks with the same name, involving blue curacao and pineapple juice and such. This is not that drink. Apparently found only in our copy of Mr. Boston, this one is gin, Creme de Violette and a lemon twist, and it tastes to me like a very refined, adult Chiclet (have you ever had violet Chiclets? I had them in Mexico in 1982 and have never forgotten). Like a gin and lemon with candied violets. Slightly sweet, slightly tart. Lovely.

This is not really a drink to go with food. It wants to stand on its own. Shortbread or plain bread and butter might be all right, but otherwise – just the drink, please.

Deep Blue Sea

from (as usual) Mr. Boston: Official Bartender’s Guide

• 2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1/4 oz Creme de Violette
• dash orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.