I hope everyone is having a lovely Memorial Day weekend. I know I am! I started with a list of things to do and well, I think I’m done with half of them. Now I just need to do the hard ones 🙂 I am really enjoying the long weekend, though. We’ve worked in the yard, planted the rest of the garden and cooked a ton. Who knows how many sewing projects may come to fruition tomorrow!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that we recently got a grand piano thanks to Dave’s parents. When we knew it was going to arrive soon, we realized that we needed to paint the room and give it a little once-over decor-wise (because who wants to deal with a grand piano while painting?).

Well, the paint has been done for a few weeks, and the piano is here. This weekend I headed over to Pistils Nursery on N. Mississippi for some succulents to make a planter for the coffee table, then we went to my favorite fabric boutique, Bolt, on N. Alberta, to get some fabric to recover the pillows we’ve had for years. I’m definitely planning to do a post on the room’s refresh. As soon as the room is done. Which will be soon! I swear. I just need to find some end tables. 🙂

But back to the cocktail: I’ve been meaning to make an Aviation for a long time. I love gin, and I excitedly bought a bottle of créme de violette about six weeks ago, forgetting that I also needed maraschino liqueur. Well, the next time I headed into the liquor store, they were OUT OF MARASCHINO LIQUEUR. Does that seem weird to anyone else? Before I started doing these cocktail posts, I didn’t even know it existed. Apparently it’s in high demand.

Anyway, while out and about and getting things done, I finally found my bottle of Luxardo and came straight home to make this cocktail. My first one was way too sour, so the version below might be different than some you might see out there. But it’s the version I like, and this is my blog, so I do what I want.

Here’s my version:
2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1 tsp. créme de violette
1 1/2 tsp. maraschino liqueur such as Luxardo or Maraska
Twist of lemon

Shake the gin, lemon juice, créme de violette and maraschino liqueur in a shaker full of ice until you can barely hold the shaker anymore because it’s so cold. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a twist of lemon.

Side note: Many recipes do not call for a garnish for this. Why would you not? Again, I do what I want. 🙂 I’m such a rebel…