Water Lily

One of the first things I bought for my bar was a bottle of crème de violette. I tried my first Aviation and I loved it so much that I splurged on both the crème de violette and Luxardo maraschino liqueur. The Luxardo turned out to be a brilliant purchase, and it ended up in many more cocktails. The crème de violette, on the other hand, hasn't really seen much use. So I was pretty excited to come across the Water Lily, which features it as a main ingredient.

With equal parts gin, crème de violette, Cointreau, and lemon juice, this cocktail is very sweet and tart, with flavors of orange and florals. It's reminiscent of the Aviation, but much sweeter - almost candy-flavored. But in a good way. It's surprisingly delicious.

History: The Water Lily was created by Richard Boccato at PDT in New York. According to The PDT Cocktail Book, he made it for a good friend of his whose middle name was Lily.

Water Lily

3/4 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Cointreau or triple sec
3/4 oz. crème de violette
3/4 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Recipe from The PDT Cocktail Book.