Ingredients
- 1¾ ozgin
- ¾ ozabsinthe
- ½ ozcrème de violette
- ¼ ozdry vermouth
🔧 Tools
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- Combine gin, absinthe, crème de violette, and dry vermouth in a mixing glass.
- Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 20 to 25 seconds until well chilled and diluted.
- Strain into the chilled coupe glass.
- Serve without garnish.
📜 History
Arsenic and Old Lace is a pre-Prohibition-era cocktail that takes its name from Joseph Kesselring's 1941 dark comedy play, though recipes for this style of floral gin drink appeared in early 20th-century bar manuals. The drink gained renewed attention through its association with New York speakeasy bar Maison Premiere, whose version — gin with absinthe, crème de violette, and dry vermouth — became a signature of the craft cocktail revival. The stark contrast between the herbal punch of absinthe and the delicate sweetness of violet liqueur is what makes this cocktail memorable.
#violet#floral#gin#absinthe#classic#stirred#pre-prohibition