Violet Gin and Tonic
My love for gin and tonics definitely has a bit of nostalgia attached to it, as it’s always been my family’s happy hour drink of choice up at the cottage and thus has many fond summer memories attached to it. And though I love the classic cocktail just as it is (with extra lime s’il vous plait!), recently I’ve been all about putting my own spin on it.
With this summer being our first in the new apartment, we’ve fully embraced a happy hour ritual of our own, opting to spend a bit of time on the patio prior to making dinner, often with a gin and tonic in hand and sharing stories from our days. It’s a moment to pause, reconnect and relax, regardless of what the rest of the evening has in store.
The idea for this particular gin and tonic remix started with a bottle of coveted violet liqueur. When Alex and I were in NYC a couple of months ago, I made it my mission to hunt down a bottle to bring back. It ended up costing me a ridiculous amount due to crazy exchange rates, having to pay to check my bag in order to bring it back with me, and then almost missing my flight due to traffic and having to pay to have Alex check her bag instead. Long story short, I now have an overly expensive bottle of violet liqueur that I’ve been waiting to use in the perfect cocktail, and pairing it with one of my favourite Kitten and the Bear jams just seemed like an obvious decision.
VIOLET GIN AND TONIC
2 oz gin
4 oz tonic water
½ oz violet liquer
¼ tsp jam
Lime wedges, for juice and garnish
Add gin and violet liqueur to a glass filled with ice. Squeeze in juice of one lime wedge. Add tonic water and stir to combine. Mix in jam and garnish with lime wedge (and flowers, if you're so inclined!).
