In the world of mixology, imitation is the highest form of flattery, so when you find a cocktail that's a variation of a classic, it's important to take note. The blue moon cocktail is a floral, remarkably violet-colored drink with roots that trace back to the well-known gin-forward and colorful aviation cocktail. The cocktail draws the eye in first, but the taste will make you a lifelong fan. If you already enjoy the aviation, then you can quickly expand your repertoire with this purple-hued, well-loved riff of the classic, along with a few other blue moon drink recipes sure to please.
Blue Moon Cocktail
The original recipe uses a dry gin to balance the floral crème de violette and citrus lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dry gin, such as Tanqueray
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce crème de violette
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass, martini glass, or coupe.
- Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice.
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and crème de violette.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Moonlight Cocktail
For a different spin, try out this variation with triple-sec that gives a sweeter flavor with just a hint of orange.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces dry gin
- ½ ounce triple sec
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce crème de violette
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass, martini glass, or coupe.
- Fill a cocktail shaker half-full with ice. Add the gin, triple sec, lime juice, and crème de violette.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
Aviation Cocktail
If you prefer a sweeter cocktail or enjoy classic sours, you'll want to give this classic Aviation cocktail recipe a go.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dry gin
- ¼ ounce crème de violette
- ½ ounce maraschino liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Cherry or lavender sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass, martini glass, or coupe.
- Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice.
- Add the gin, crème de violette, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a cherry or lavender.
The History of the Blue Moon Cocktail
To understand the blue moon cocktail, you need to know about the aviation. The aviation is a classic cocktail, born around the early 1900s in New York, the blue moon soon followed in the 1920s-although the lore and details of its exact origin remain murky. Over the years, bartenders omitted the difficult-to-find crème de violette from the aviation recipe, and today some still leave it out altogether.
Often considered one of the forgotten classics, the blue moon has started to make a strong comeback during this second golden age of cocktails. Crème de violette is readily available, and there's a resurgence of interest in cocktails. Along the way, mixologists have started creating new drinks in the shadow of their inspiration, including the Blue Moon cocktail, mixing up new drink recipes that build on their roots.
Exploring Blue Moon Drink Recipes
Because the blue moon cocktail has such a simple list of ingredients, you can change it to better suit your flavor profile by switching ingredients. If you prefer a more bitter drink, the addition of an egg-white with a full ounce of lemon juice can produce a violet-hued blue moon gin sour. If you're more interested in a cocktail with bubbles, you can build your cocktail as usual, but instead of pouring it into a coupe, pour it into a highball glass filled with ice and top with club soda. The possibilities for blue moon drink recipes are endless--all that matters is how you want to enjoy your uniquely violet cocktail.
