The Blue Moon was the house cocktail of Joel’s Bar, a New York bar popular in the ’20s. “Nothing was too absurd, too amusing, too nearly inconceivable” to be created at Joel’s according to Benjamin De Casseres, a prominent New York journalist at the time.
It is slightly sweet and fragrant, but the inclusion of lemon juice makes it a bright, fresh drink.
The version created at Joel’s is long-forgotten but dedicated bartenders have come up with approximations of the original that are worth trying. This version was created the 1940s, but David Wondrich has also come up with a Blue Moon that includes vermouth. Try both to see which you prefer.
I don’t like sharing cocktails where the ingredients are tricky to find or expensive, but if you like Aviations (and hopefully Blue Moons) then it’s worth getting a bottle of crème de violette.
Ingredients for the Blue Moon Cocktail:
60ml Dry gin (I used Melbourne Gin Company Single Shot)
15ml Crème de Violette
15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method:
Shake all the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled coupette or martini glass.
Enjoy!
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