Once in a while, I like to make two drinks at once just so that I can compare them. Inevitably, in the zealous quest to taste the difference, one can’t help but enjoy a languorous afternoon just drinking away. The trick, of course, is to find two drinks that are similar enough, yet unmistakably different so that there’s just enough to think about. Extra credit for having a similar theme to a recent event.
Which brings us to the two candidates for the week. The White Lady and The Aviation. The two classic cocktails are indubitably different, yet undoubtedly alike. Gin. Lemons….History… Controversy.
Aviation
2 oz. (45ml) Dry Gin
3/4 oz. (22.5 ml) Lemon Juice
1/4 oz.(15ml) Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 oz.(15ml) Crème de violette
Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker and shake for 15- 20 seconds, then strain. Garnish with a brandied cherry or a lemon peel.
The Aviation has been around at least since 1911, with a recipe first published by Hugo Ensslin in 1916’s Recipe for Mixed Drinks. At that time, the drink looked much like the list above, with some variation in the lemon juice. Most importantly, however, it contained the rare crème de violette. The controversy starts in 1930, when the recipe was published again in the Savoy Cocktail Book sans the crème de violette.
Whether this was intentional was anyone’s guess, but the nature of the drink changed overnight. Crème de violette then fell out of common use and seems to have vanished altogether in the 1960s. Recently, however, the violet liqueur has enjoyed something of a revival, and so has the Aviation in its original form.
Controversy still exists today on the “proper” way to make an Aviation, but for me there can be no doubt as to the victor. Without the crème de violette, the cocktail might as well not exist. Its very name comes from the sky blue colour imparted by the violet! It adds a beautiful fragrance, subtle sweetness and depth of flavour, and there’s nothing else quite like it. Its presence makes the Aviation unique; its absence makes it humdrum.
White Lady
1 1/2 oz. (45ml) Dry Gin
1 oz. (30ml) Grand Marnier
3/4 oz. (22.5ml) Lemon Juice
1/4 oz.(7.5ml) Sugar Syrup
1/2 oz. (15ml) Egg White
Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake hard without the ice until the egg white breaks up and foams. Add the ice and shake for 15-30 seconds, then strain the resulting cocktail and serve with a slice of orange peel as garnish.
Aside from the decidedly spooky name, this is not a scary drink at all when made correctly. A light, citrusy drink that tingles the tongue but doesn’t overwhelm, it is a lovely after-dinner tipple.
Unearthing the history of this beautiful cocktail could be somewhat… Harry; Harry MacElhone claimed to have invented it in 1919 at Ciro’s Club in London using Crème de Menthe; while Harry Craddock of the Savoy first published the recipe in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. The truth here is a matter of conjecture.
A drink that has been around for as long as this inevitably collects a number of variations. I’ve tweaked the drink to my liking over a great many attempts; the version above is the result of many inebriated afternoons filled with failed White Ladies. While other recipes skip the egg white, I think that taking that little extra effort to include it is well worth the bother. The white adds a foamy, creamy texture to the cocktail that is absolutely divine. Without it, it’s merely a good drink. With, it is sublime. My other little change is the choice of orange liqueur. I’ve tried Cointreau, but I find that Grand Marnier adds a slight edge to the cocktail that makes it much more interesting than its counterpart.
It’s usually a difficult choice to pick a winner. Both are very tasty, very distinctive. If there’s to be only one choice then, this weekend, of all weekends, I preferred the white. A beautiful cocktail all around.
What’s your vote?
