8 Cocktail Recipes with this ingredient.
The Aviation appeared in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks' and is one of the great pre-Prohibition gin cocktails. Two unusual liqueurs — maraschino and crème de violette — give it an extraordinary pale lavender-blue color and floral, cherry complexity. For years it was made without the violette (it was hard to find), but Rothman & Winter revived domestic production. The violette is non-negotiable — without it you have a gin sour, not an Aviation.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler rehabilitated the maligned Amaretto Sour in 2012 by adding a small amount of cask-strength bourbon and egg white. The bourbon provides dryness and backbone that balances the sweetness of amaretto; the egg white gives it a gorgeous texture and foam. This version uses Amaro Averna as a richer, more complex base. Use Wild Turkey 101 for the bourbon — the high proof holds up.
The Whiskey Sour is one of the great sour cocktails, and adding an egg white transforms it into something exceptional — the foam provides a silky, luscious mouthfeel that softens the citrus edge and makes every sip feel complete. Use bourbon for a sweeter, fuller profile, or rye for a drier, spicier result. The dry shake technique (without ice first) is essential for building proper foam. Angostura bitters on the foam is traditional.
The Bee's Knees is a Prohibition-era gin sour that used honey and citrus to mask the rough edges of bathtub gin. Today, with quality London dry gin available, it's a revelation — bright, floral, and perfectly balanced. The honey syrup is the key: make it 3:1 honey to hot water so it's thick and rich. It integrates beautifully with the botanicals of the gin. A classic that deserves far more attention in modern bar programs.
Invented by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey in New York City around 2007, the Paper Plane is a modern classic built entirely on equal parts — bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but the interplay between the sweetness of bourbon, the bitter orange of Aperol, the herbal complexity of Nonino, and the citrus lift of lemon is absolutely masterful. Use Bulleit or Wild Turkey 101.
Sam Ross created the Penicillin at Milk & Honey in 2005 and it has since become one of the most influential modern cocktails in the world. Blended Scotch provides the base, fresh lemon and honey-ginger syrup create the sour backbone, and a float of peaty Islay single malt delivers a smoky, medicinal nose on every sip. Make the ginger-honey syrup fresh: 3:1 honey to water, steeped with fresh ginger slices for 15 minutes.
Named after the 75mm field gun used by the French army in WWI — the drink's kick supposedly had a similar impact. A proper French 75 is gin-based (not cognac, despite common menu confusion), shaken with lemon and simple syrup, then topped with Champagne in a flute. It's elegant, celebratory, and dangerously easy to drink. A floral gin like Tanqueray No. Ten or Hendrick's works beautifully here.
The Clover Club predates Prohibition, originating at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia around 1910. It's a gorgeous, delicate cocktail: London dry gin, fresh lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and egg white. The foam is dense and pink, and the flavor is bright, fruity, and incredibly elegant. Make your own raspberry syrup with fresh or freeze-dried raspberries for the most vibrant flavor. Dry shake the egg white first — no shortcuts.