Some cocktails are doubtlessly a magnet for your guests, whether in a bar or at home. This may be the case due to a certain flavor, but there are also other reasons, for example because a particular cocktail enjoys a general popularity as a “trend cocktail”. Often, however, it can be something quite trivial like the outward appearance of a drink. Of course “trivial” is not always the right word because you can ultimately put a lot of effort and sophistication in the exterior of your drinks. But anyway some drinks which are not very difficult to make are simply impressive as well. Today I would like to introduce an example which also is quite convincing in terms of taste.

I’m speaking of the Bénazet Fizz which serves as a signature drink for the recently introduced Edouard Bénazet Baden-Baden Vodka. The optically relevant secret ingredient in this cocktail is Créme Violette which fortunately isn’t that difficult to get anymore, although it had almost disappeared for many decades and only came back to life in the course of the burgeoning cocktail renaissance of late. Only a few days ago I wrote about the Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao and also about the reason for the blue color in Blue Curacao. But while the latter has become a symbol for frowned upon cocktails, Créme Violette is still rather a niche product and an insider tip which is not known to many people at all. This is, of course, due to the fact that there are not many well-known drinks made with this violet liqueur; first and foremost classics like the Aviation or the Blue Moon Cocktail.

In the Bénazet Fizz, Créme Violette now has a prominent place at the side of the Vodka – even in a surprisingly large proportion. Together with some lemon juice and soda water the cocktail is easily made. I have taken the recipe for this drink from the Facebook page of Bénazet Vodka. Surprisingly – and rather untypical for a Fizz – the original recipe does not call for a real source of sweetening, which is why the Bénazet Fizz is quite sour, fresh and sparkling. Of course this also depends on the Créme Violette that you use and that is available on the market – some of them are clearly different. I usually use the less sweet “The Bitter Truth Violet Liqueur” and after I tasted the drink, I thought the cocktail could still use a good centiliter of sugar syrup. But this I simply an optional ingredient you don’t have to consider (depending on the Créme Violette you are using).

Recipe:

3.5 cl Bénazet Baden-Baden Vodka
2.5 cl Créme Violette
2 cl of sugar syrup
Approx. 7 cl soda water

(Optional) 1 cl sugar syrup

Preparation: Shake all ingredients except for the soda water on ice in your shaker vigorously and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Top off with soda water.

Glass: Highball

Garnish: lemon zest and lavender blossom (my lavender unfortunately does not bloom anymore, so there was only some green)

Buying sources: At specialized retailers or online.