Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 22 – Violet Vixen. This little lilac dream is named after Vixen the reindeer, not me. 😉
I hope you’re all settling in nicely to the first official vacation day of this holiday season. That is unless you work in the service industry or for some cruel corporate slave driver that expects you to go in for half a day on Christmas Eve.
This cocktail is your essential Tom Collins created with Empress 1908 gin from Victoria, British Columbia.
This gin gets its deep insigo hue from the butterfly pea blossom that is included in its mix of botanicals. When you are citrus, the gin changes collie before your eyes like some kind of magical conjuring.
This is a timeless and refeshing cocktail that gets a show-stopping upgrade with this particular gin.
If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of gin, especially in the warmer months. I’m not proud, nor ashamed, to say that I can seemingly drink a bottomless quantity of gin and tonic while maintaining the lion’s share of mental faculties.
Other spirits or wine, not so much. To be frank, I’m not much of a beer drinker because I don’t love the bitterness that is characteristic of most craft brews and I don’t like the bloated feeling I get from having more than one.
As discussed, I love to dance and don’t want to be slowed down by some hoppy paunch. The take on a Tom Collins is a much safer bet for me, to ensure I’m feeling unencumbered on the dance floor.
Here’s hoping you find your rhythm this holiday season or at least find the liquid courage to fake it.
Violet Vixen
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp sugar
- Chopped ice
- 2 oz Empress 1908 gin
- Sparkling wine
- Lemon wedge
- Maraschino cherry
-
Shake together lemon juice, sugar and ice. Stir in gin, strain and pour into a tall glass over more chopped ice. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with lemon and cherry.
Recipe adapted from: Rosen, Amy. "Award-Worthy Collins." Food & Drink. Winter 2015.
