Gray Pride

This cocktail's based on The Last Word, introduced to us by our "Beach Bartender, Bill" it was my favourite of his week of prohibition-era happy hour cocktails during our annual early summer week on the ocean.  It's equal parts Green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and gin. We'd run out of Luxardo, so cast around in the cocktail cabinet for something else sweet and perfumed as a substitute. The Crème de violette seemed like it would do the trick.

Instead of the light green color of The Last Word, or the purple sunset tones of the Aviation, this one came out a rather unusual, perhaps even unappealing shade of grey.  It tastes a lot like an Aviation, sweet and perfumed from the Crème de violette: smelling like your granny's dressing table or a roll of Parma violets.

Its name came to me on the spur of the moment, no doubt influenced by the fact we'd just attended our friends Aaron and Charles' wedding at the tail end of LGBT Pride month and of course it reflects my last name, handily compounding the pun.

For two cocktails:

2 ounces Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 ounces Crème de Violette
2 ounces Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed, strained
2 ounces Gin

Shake on ice, then pour into martini glasses.   garnish with a twist of lemon peel, extra points if it looks like one of the awareness ribbons that proliferate these days!

Given how pricey the Chartreuse is -- about double the cost of other amaros, $65/750ml or so -- we'll reserve that for The Last Word, which is fabulous.  what this cocktail lacks in attractiveness is more than made up for in the flavour.

Did you know that chartreuse is the only color named after a liquor? True fact.