The Paraglider (Not Quite Aviation)

Our kitchen reno is in full swing!  There are many holes in the walls and the floor is bare concrete.  But we’re getting by. 

Since there is literally nowhere to cook, we’ve been on a forced raw food diet.  Some days have been better (sourdough with ricotta, sea salt, honey, and a sprinkle of cayenne) than others (bag of chips), though it depends on your definition of better (the chips were very good). 

One silver lining is that drinks and cocktails rarely require the use of a stove!  And though I won’t go into reno details here, suffice to say there have been several times already where a drink was deemed necessary. 

The Aviation is one of my favorite cocktails to order when we go out, mostly because it’s delicious and almost impossible to make at home given the lack of Violette availability.  But one missing ingredient isn’t going to stop us! 

Violette is fruity and floral, so I decided to see whether I could substitute it with Chambord or St. Germain.  Chambord is sweet and tastes of rasberries, St. Germain is floral with a hint of acidity.  In the spirit of science, I also tried a half/half mixture of the two. 

The winner for me was the mix of both, but give it a shot (no pun intended) and see what you think! 

I call this the Paraglider – like an Aviation, but not quite at the same level.  It’s clean and refreshing and perfect for the beginnings of warmer weather that we’re just starting to get here in Toronto.  

  

Here’s to summer and a new kitchen!

The Paraglider

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
1/2 teaspoon Chambord, St. Germain, or a 1:1 mix of the two
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. simple syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry.