The Aviation

[Kerry Beal]

Based on a quick search in google books, creme de violette used to be distilled from irises and artificially colored with cochineal and indigo blue.

This is from a French book published in 1866.

So I read this as Orris root - I should give this a try cause I've got orris root.  Don't have conchineal and indigo but lots of other choices for colour.

[FrogPrincesse]

I think you are right. The recipe just says "iris" but most likely they are referring to the root, which is also used to make gin.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

By artificially colored, I meant that the color had been added and was not from the flowers themselves.

R&W gets its color from a mixture of FD&C blue # 1 (E133, aka brilliant blue) and FD&C red #40 (E129).

Does Tempus Fugit only use cochineal (which is carmine red)? They would also need a blue dye to get a purple color. Or try changing the pH to basic, cochineal is supposed to turn violet at higher pH.

 

If Tempus Fugit had artificial color I believe by law they would be obliged to say.  The small text on the bottle says:  "contains cochineal extract".  The label also states:  "Liqueur de Violettes' delicate color is the result of natural ingredients, so please store out of direct sunlight and heat to reduce fading over time."  Seems appropriate for the brand name.  Indeed the color of cochineal is fugitive.

 

I enjoy lemon juice too much in my aviations to try what happens at high pH!  My son is coming over in a bit and should we have time I'd like to go on a search for Magellan.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Absolutely no luck finding Magellan.  But my grandson won his ballgame 7-2.

[Kerry Beal]

Orris root infusions under way - one is 25% powdered orris root in 92% ETOH, the other 50% orris root pieces in 92% ETOH.

 

 

Apparently I need to shake 5 times per day for a month - might just bung it in the ultrasonic cleaner next time I have the house to myself.

[Hassouni]

Got a cream whipper?

[Kerry Beal]

I do indeed - but still find I get stronger quicker infusions with the ultrasound.  

[brinza]

Absolutely no luck finding Magellan.  But my grandson won his ballgame 7-2.

I don't know if you are close to the PA border, but there are several stores around Philly that have it in stock.  BTW, I love Magellan, not because of the novelty of its color (though it makes a lovely, eye-catching Martini), but I find it to be a very good tasting gin.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I now have Magellan on order from the local store.  Possibly it will be in tomorrow.

Edited June 3, 2014 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[DerekW]

I do indeed - but still find I get stronger quicker infusions with the ultrasound.  

More information on your tools and process please Kerry? I've done my Googling and read around. What worked well or otherwise for you?

[Kerry Beal]

Still in progress - I'm just getting over a cold that has not allowed me to taste anything for about a week.  A bit frustrating as we are preparing for a Big Green Egg eggfest today and I'm not sure how my sauces taste.

 

My Ultrasonic cleaner is around 15 litres if I'm not mistaken - it's called a Kendal - bought on e-bay fairly reasonably.   I leave stuff in jars and ultrasound them in the jars in a water filled chamber.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

My evening was shot down.  Through a tragic failure of logistics I found myself at midnight with a liter of Magellan and but a single lemon.  Alas, I am my own quartermistress and have no one else to blame.

 

However I must say the Magellan is pretty good.  Sampled neat Magellan is easier going down than Bombay dry, even if it is ever so slightly higher proof.  As long as the lemon holds I've been flying with the following:

 

2 oz Magellan

1 oz lemon juice

2 teaspoons maraschino

1 teaspoon liqueur de violettes (Tempus Fugit)

 

 

At this rate the liqueur de violettes should serve for many missions.  But the maraschino level is dropping rapidly.  Not sure about the landing gear.

 

Now, one may ask about the color.  Magellan is blue.  They say the blue color is from iris, though the bottle mentions "certified color".  Interestingly as I read the regulations, in the US added certified color (i.e. FD&C Blue #1 or Blue #2) does not have to be declared on the label for gin.

 

When mixed into an aviation with the liqueur de violettes, the color is a fog bank, pale gray with zero visibility.  Not the result for which I had been hoping.

 

But it could be worse.  At least I got in a couple solid sorties before running out of lemon.

Edited June 12, 2014 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Now that lemon is again in good supply I continued with my experiments in aviation.  The first change I made was to double strain the lemon juice.  With the final filter being a fine Japanese tea strainer.  This in impractical.

 

Anyhow the second change was to reduce the lemon juice below the Ensslin ratio.  Then I prepared and contrasted aviations made with Bombay dry and with Magellan:

 

2 oz gin

3/4 oz lemon juice

1/4 oz maraschino

1 teaspoon liqueur de violettes (Tempus Fugit)

 

 

For taste I preferred Magellan, though I must say the Bombay dry version was quite good.  As for color, Bombay dry won hands down, with the beautiful pale dawn sky.  Magellan, a pretty blue in the bottle, makes for a gray and overcast aviation.  This is undoubtedly due to the yellow lemon juice.  Until I can obtain a centrifuge I am stuck.  Sadly, from what I have read Dave Arnold's ager-ager method does not do much for color.  Color is somewhat better in a coupe than in a V glass.

 

Furthermore (after testing yet again) I can affirm Ensslin's ratios are indeed correct.  I cannot improve upon them.

 

 

 

Edit:  Sorry!  Ensslin calls for equal measure of violet and maraschino.  I actually prefer slightly more maraschino.  I was thinking of the ratio of lemon juice to gin.  Many peanuts to go before I sleep.

Edited June 14, 2014 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[Hassouni]

I think a lot of people prefer more Maraschino than Violette. 1 teaspoon of the latter is really quite enough.

[Rafa]

I think many people feel about violette the way Churchill, Hitchcock, et al. felt about vermouth in Martinis.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I have nothing against a cold, refreshing glass of gin although I'm not sure I'd call it a martini or an aviation.

[Adam George]

2.5oz Gin

0.5oz Maraschino

0.5oz Lemon

0.25oz Bitter Truth Violette

Lemon twist, discard.

Sky blue.

I prefer to balance this drink like a nuanced "Martini" than a full blown sour.

[Kerry Beal]

Still in progress - I'm just getting over a cold that has not allowed me to taste anything for about a week.  A bit frustrating as we are preparing for a Big Green Egg eggfest today and I'm not sure how my sauces taste.

 

My Ultrasonic cleaner is around 15 litres if I'm not mistaken - it's called a Kendal - bought on e-bay fairly reasonably.   I leave stuff in jars and ultrasound them in the jars in a water filled chamber.  

Ok - so today the experiment continues.

 

 

I realize that I made my tincture with 92% ETOH which should have been with 85 proof.

 

 

I did an aqueous extraction of both the chopped pieces of root and the powder after I poured off the alcohol.  

 

 

While thinking about colouring - I realize that I have a ready source of the perfect colour growing all around my house right now.  

 

 

So a little extract of iris flower should make a perfect colour.  

 

I tasted the Creme de Violette I have in the house now - damn that stuff is bitter and sweet at the same time.  

[Hassouni]

I will be the first to admit my naïveté: how does an ultrasonic cleaner help the infusion in the jar? 

[Kerry Beal]

The ultrasonic cleaner disrupts the structure of things - if you put a piece of tinfoil in there - it will be full of tiny little holes when you take it out.  So kind of drags those flavour molecules right out of where they are hiding.  Also works to speed age booze (but don't tell Capm Jimbo or we'll never hear the end of it!)

[Kerry Beal]

So here are the results of my Creme de Violette trial - real stuff on the left, mine on the right.  Mine is not quite the same colour (but it is more purple than it appears in the picture) - will have to try some artificial colour and see if I can match it.  My iris probably aren't quite the right shade of violet.  

 

They taste pretty similar - mine a bit more violet like, theirs a bit more bitter.  

 

 

Decided to make a couple of tiny Aviations to see how they compare - never fear I'm not drinking at 9 am!  Tasting however.  So mine gives more violet flavour to the drink (used Adam George's ratios) and of course a different colour.   

 

 

Know what - I still don't really like an Aviation.  Will have to figure out some other cocktails to try my potion in that I will like.  

[Adam George]

Amazing colour, Kerry.

[Kerry Beal]

Made a tiny batch with chef rubber gel colours - will mix a cocktail later to see how it's colour shows up.

[Kerry Beal]

 

Here's the latest colour - a bit dense in the small quantity I made - will dilute it out in the larger quantity and I think it will be almost perfect.  Did cheat a little - this 'cocktail' has creme de violette and lemon - but I replaced the gin and maraschino with water.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

So here are the results of my Creme de Violette trial - real stuff on the left, mine on the right.  Mine is not quite the same colour (but it is more purple than it appears in the picture) - will have to try some artificial colour and see if I can match it.  My iris probably aren't quite the right shade of violet.  

 

Kerry, your batch appears to be about the same hue as Tempus Fugit.