Cocktails, Liquor Stuff, Uncategorized

Lemon Drop & Wildflower Martinis

 

Some of our favs:

 

The Wildflower

  • 2 ounces Vodka
  • 5-ounce Simple Syrup
  • 1-ounce Crème de Violette Liqueur
  • .5-ounce Triple Sec
  • Lemon (preferably Meyers Lemons)

In a shaker, squeeze the lemon. Then add all the other liquid ingredients.  Fill shaker with ice.  Shake until you can feel the cool through the shaker.

Wet the rims of the martini glasses. Dip the rims into a dish of sugar to coat rims. Pour the liquid into martini glasses.

Tips: Lemon candies crushed and mixed with some sugar works great for the rimmed glass.

Makes 2.

The Colorado Martini’s Lemon Drop Martini

  • 2 ounces Vodka
  • 5-ounce Simple Syrup
  • ½ Lemon (preferably Meyers Lemons)

Meyers Lemon vs. Regular Lemon

  • Thought to be a cross between a lemon and mandarin orange.
  • Thinner skinned lemons
  • If available, use in recipes calling for lemons.
  • It makes the best lemon drop martini or lemonade. Otherwise, use a regular lemon.
  • Usually available in food markets between November and May. If you cannot find Meyers in your store.  Ask the produce manager when they might be available in their store.

Orange Liqueur

  • Triple Sec
    • Triple Sec is so name because it is “Triple distilled” and sec is French for “dry.” Dry for drying up the orange peels.
    • Originally called Curaçao triple sec
    • Sweet orange flavored liqueur.
    • Made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange.
    • Well known ingredient in sangria, margarita, Kamikaze, White Lady, Long Island Iced Tea, Sidecar, Skittle Bomb, Corpse Reviver #2and Cosmopolitan.
    • It thought to have been invented 1834 and 1848 in France.
    • Usually 60 proof, although some brands can vary anywhere between 15 and 40 percent.
  • Cointreau (cJuan-trow)
    • Cointreau is a brand of triple sec, which is orange-flavored liqueur.
    • It produced in France.
    • Proof 80 (US) / 70 (UK)
    • People like to drink it as an apéritif (another way of saying neat) and is used in several well-known cocktails.
    • It was originally called “Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec”. (cure-a-so)
    • In 1849 by the Cointreau brothers and the first bottles were sold around 1878
    • The brothers blended sweet and bitter orange peels and pure alcohol from sugar beets
    • The recipe is still a family secret.
    • Popular used in margaritas and cosmos.
  • Grand Mariner
    • Grand Mariner Cordon Rouge is an orange-flavored liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle.
    • Cordon Rouge means “Red Ribbon” in French.
    • It is made from a blend of Cognac brandy, distilled essence of bitter orange, and sugar.
    • Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is 40% alcohol (70 proof in UK /80 proof in US).
    • It is usually referred to just Grand Marnier
    • Popular poured over desserts. Such as vanilla ice cream or Crêpes Suzette. Or in coffee.

Crème de Violette

  • Also known as liqueur de violette
  • It has become a generic term for a liqueur with natural and/or artificial violet flower flavoring and coloring with either a brandy base, a neutral spirit base, or a combination of the two.
  • It has a distinct floral and sweet flavor,
  • It is thought to be reminiscent of the violet candies popular in the early to mid-1900’s. I
  • It can be found in cocktail history as early as 19th century (1800’s)
    • In those days it was mixed with dry vermouth or alone as a cordial.
  • The main reason that it is new to most people is that was unavailable in the United States for decades
    • In the mid-2007 Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette started to be imported
    • Rothman & Winter’s version is made from Queen Charlotte and March violet flowers from the Alps.
    • We are now starting to see other brands of Crème de Violette in USA markets.
  • Aviation cocktail
    • Forgotten classic
    • Sky blue when mixed with the other ingredients
    • Is one of the main drinks that contains Crème de Violette.
    • The Aviation is a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de Violette, and lemon juice. Some recipes omit the crème de Violette. It is served straight up, in a cocktail glass.
    • The drink was developed by the head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, in the early twentieth century (1900’s).
    • The first published recipe for the drink appeared in Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1916. The recipe read:
      • 1½ oz. El Bart gin
      • ¾ oz. lemon juice
      • 2 dashes maraschino liqueur (not maraschino cherry juice!)
      • 2 dashes crème de violette (a violet liqueur which gives the cocktail a pale purple color.)
    • In 1930, the Savoy Cocktail Book dropped the crème de violette, calling for a mixture of two-thirds dry gin, one-third lemon juice, and two dashes of maraschino. For many years that recipe was followed by bartenders because crème de violette was difficult to find.
  • Related cocktails
    • The Aviation can be considered a variation on the Gin sour, using maraschino as its sweetener.
    • The Blue Moon cocktail is made with gin, lemon juice, and crème de violette or Creme Yvette, without maraschino.
    • The Moonlight cocktail is made with gin, lime juice, Cointreau, and crème de violette.
  • Rothman and Winters
    • is considered the first true Creme de Violette available in over a decade
    • Produced in Austria 20% Alc./Vol. (40 proof)
    • Product of Austria

Scotch Violet

  • 2 ounces Scotch
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ ounce Crème de Violette
  • ¼ ounce honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water, stirred until honey dissolves).

With ice, shake that all up and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

DISCLAIMER:

This video, content, and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission from Amazon. Please see my disclaimer statement at https://www.coloradomartinis.com.  This helps support my channels and website and allows us to continue to make videos and content like this. Thank you for the support!

This recipe, video, and guide is intended only for responsible adults of legal drinking age in the United States of America (21 years old or older). It is purely intended for entertainment and educational purposes.

Please do NOT drink and drive. If you need transportation, use a designated driver or a taxi service. And please be careful when crossing the street after drinking. Colorado Martini does not advocate or encourage the abuse of alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly and with moderation.

We do not, under any circumstances, accept responsibility for any damages that result to yourself or anyone else due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages or the use of this site and any materials located on it. We cannot take any responsibility for the effect these drinks may have on people.

This content is strictly the opinion of Colorado Martini, and is for informational and educational purposes only.

References