Cocktails

I know.  It's early Saturday morning.  If you are thinking about adult beverages now it's prolly a Momosa or a Bloody Mary (use OldBay in your Bloody Mary.  Trust me.)

And I am normally a Bourbon/Rye or Beer man.  Prima is my favorite.   For Rye, Bulleit.  For Bourbon, I got for Knob Creek or Very Old Barton.

But I have run into a cocktail enthusiast.  And he had some WWI era drinks I really got into.  And since we are still in the Gun of August 100 year anniversary...

Note, these were invented by flyboys.  Man, do aviators like to get in their cups.

The French 75.  Named after the field piece.  Booze wasn't super available near the battlefields, you take what you could get.  And you couldn't get drunk fast enough on champagne alone so they'd add some brandy to the glass to spike it up.  That's it.  Champagne and Brandy.   There are dozens of variations since the war, subsituting gin for the Cognac and adding zest or actual citrus juice of one variety or another.  Why was the drink named after artillery?  Because the hangover the next morning made you think you were being shelled, close aboard.

The Aviation.  This is now my favorite.  Gin, maraschino cherry liquer, lemon juice (sometimes lime) and... creme de violette.   The color of the drink is of the sky. 

• shot of gin (I like it with lots of botanicals, but that's me)
• tsp of the creme de violette
• half ounce (third of a shot) of the maraschino
• half a shot of lemon juice

Or, make 3 at once

• 3 shots of gin
• half shot of the creme de violette
• shot of the maraschino liquer
• shot and a half of lemon juice

Pour over ice in a shaker, shake, strain over chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a cherry or twist of lemon peel.  Mmmmm.