Water Lily

The Water Lily

I had my first Water Lily in South Bend, Indiana, at the Render Kitchen & Bar (since closed) and I have been making them ever since. This cocktail captures your attention immediately because of its lovely lavender color and because it is often garnished with edible flowers — as was my first one at Render (pictured: I use a lavender sprig from our garden).

The Water Lily is more than just a pretty face, however. It is aromatic, subtle, flowery and refreshing, thanks to a lovely intermingling of citrus, gin, and crème de violette. The fourth ingredient, Cointreau, serves to offset the tartness of the lemon and to complement the crème de violette, bringing the whole mélange into harmony.

Gin is, of course, the backbone of this drink, but it must be a gin that knows how to play nice with others. Tanquerey, for example, has, to my mind, a bit too much personality for this drink. Curiously, the gins that seem to work best here are clean, middle-of-the-road gins. Render used Beefeater, which worked nicely, and I do the same, though Gordon’s also does the trick.

For beginning bartenders, this drink is easy to mix while making a splash with your guests. With equal parts of its four ingredients, it is hard to mess up and will soon become a staple in your repertoire.

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Recipe:

- 1 part gin (Beefeater or Gordon’s)

- 1 part crème de violette (I like Giffard best)

- 1 part Cointreau

- 1 part lemon juice

Directions:

Pour all four ingredients together into a mixing glass with ice. Stir vigorously for at least a half minute and then strain into a coupe.

Garnish with edible flowers or a lemon peel.