Original source: Robert Hess

Aside from the obvious personal appeal of this cocktail’s name, it is the second-best use for crème de violette I’ve found so far. And if you’re going to buy a bottle to use for Aviations and then consume it ¼ oz at a time, you’re going to start looking around for more uses of that ingredient.

(Single-use liqueurs are the bane of my existence. I’ve dealt with that in a sub-optimal fashion, and have a bar filled with bottles. At least spirits will last forever on your shelf: lower-proof stuff goes flat over time, and there’s only so much room in one’s refrigerator.)

I ordered this cocktail once from The Varnish, after checking with the waiter whether weird orders were welcome, and was perfectly happy. It’s got a lovely color, a cloudlike texture, and a delicate sweetness.

The shaker ball has become ubiquitous in the time since Robert Hess recorded his video: it is the perfect tool for augmenting a dry shake.