For brunch survival purposes I go with 1 oz gin instead of 2. Also I go more toward cava or prosecco. I haven't taken up Todd Maul's suggestion that this apéro requires cognac rather than gin - with the lemon/bubbly combo I'd think that gin would be a no-brainer.

I prefer this with cognac. It is a very good, classic cocktail. The Elderflower version (French 77) is a nice variation, particularly if you haven't been overexposed to St Germain.

I've always been told that if it's gin, it's an English 75, and that Cognac is the way to go here.

Interesting. Among my friends, I call the Cognac version a French French 75. I made these for a friend's 50's birthday party, which was catered. Big hit. It is one of those cocktails that appeals to a wide variety of imbibers.

Christopher James at the Ryland Inn in Jersey makes a version with Art in the Age's SAGE:

1.5 oz SAGE
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz 2:1 simple syrup
2.0 oz brut champagne
Toasted rosemary garnish

Served in a Champagne flute.

For a fun variation, try using an Earl Grey Tea Syrup

We've always made this with gin. Tried a nice cognac tonight and decide both are 5s!

Best with a rich simple syrup for texture and consistency (1/4 oz or under works well) and a nice dry somewhat neutral Cremant or Cava. Improved by a spritz of something aromatic--we use Chartreuse. The lemon zest is best expressed over the rim and rubbed around the stem and discarded--you don't want fruit banging on your teeth when you're drinking from a flute. 

PDT substitutes 1 bsp pomegranate molasses plus 1/4 oz simple syrup for the grenadine. Tart and a bit darker than the original.

Just so we retain them for posterity, there's a variant of this drink that is titled "Authentic Blood and Sand", which is confusing - it's not authentic at all. This recipe is 1 oz Scorpion silver Mezcal, 1 ounce orange juice, 3/4 Cherry Heering, and 3/4 Noilly Prat Rouge, shaken for 20 seconds, strained into a cocktail glass, and garnished with a Maraschino cherry.  Thanks,  Zachary

Used blood orange juice; 1 oz Highland Park 18; 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (½ Punt-e-Mes, ½ Carpano Antica); ½ oz Cherry Heering. Next time will try with a smokier Scotch.

It's that time again - we now have 36 variations of the Old Fashioned, and I'm going to thin them out (by hiding them) based on how many people have the drink in their cocktail book - I feel it's better than either deleting them or merging them into this drink and making a note. Just as a heads up, I'm also going to do this to the Negroni and the Martini - any new variations of these three drinks will need to come from a great bar or be so compelling it deserves to be seen by everyone.  Thanks, Zachary

Made an altered version using 2 oz rye and a 1/2 oz of orange oleo saccharum and two dashes of Angostura. Made me think of the orange-forward on-tap Old Fashioned at the Union Kitchen (Copenhagen) I had a few years ago. Really nice and simple. 

Please consider adding the Wisconsin Old Fashioned. A brandy version with lots of bitters and cracked ice. Nice variation.

Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology book does a simpler, less lemon, more cherry, no violette, version: 2oz gin, 1/2oz maraschino, 1/2 lemon. If I like Regan's version, I'll get Creme de Violette later.

I suspect that Gary, like Ted Haigh, omits the Violette or Yvette because at the time of the writing, it wasn't available. I think it's pretty clear that the original had either Yvette or possibly Violette in order to give it the characteristic light blue color. Today, Cooper's Yvette isn't blue, so I think most people are using Violette. That said, the Violette is very strong, so I personally recommend starting with only 1/2 tsp and increasing if you like that perfume-like floral flavor. I do think that the cocktail is much more interesting with Violette. The funkiness of the Maraschino somehow offsets the yuckiness of grandma's Violette -- in a counter-intuitive sort of synergy. I hate to say it, but since Violette is artificially colored, you could add a drop of diluted blue food coloring to achieve the color if you don't have (or don't want) Violette.

I'm going to clean up this cocktail and its five variations tonight. If you think one of them is worth saving - other than the Aviation Cocktail #1, which I think we should rename Aviation (Jacques Straub), please let me know.

Thanks,

Zachary

I've tried to like this cocktail with similar proportions, but the lemon needs far more sweetener to make a comfortable balance on my tongue. I do find that the Creme de Violette does a wonderful job of toning down the harsher edge of the Maraschino and I really like the pairing in equal proportions. My current favorite proportions are 1.5 oz Gin, and .5 oz across the board for the Creme de Violette, Maraschino and Lemon Juice. The drink loses the famous sky-blue color, but still is quite a beauty with a cherry resting at the base.

I tried this cocktail last night for the first time using the proportions listed in the Haus Alpenz recipe which differs slightly from your recipe. Both, if I'm not mistaken, differ from Hugo Ensslin's recipe which I liked the best. I've started on a classic cocktail kick and didn't realize what I was missing.

Are you sure it's only 2 dashes of Violette? I used the Rothman and Winter CdV for this recipe and I tasted no creme de violette and it wasn't at all blue.

Jaba,

I'm sure it's 2 dashes. You could try setting a "part" at 3/4 oz (which will make a small drink), or increasing the Violette until you like it.

Thanks,

Zachary

I use 1/4 tsp per dash, so about 1/2 tsp for this, which I find gives a nice background floral aspect and a slight greyish color. There is always uncertainty in what a dash is, especially for an ingredient that doesn't come in a dasher bottle.

Some use up to a 1/2 oz of Violette. There's no reason you shouldn't adjust this to your taste. You may have to adjust the lemon too.

Liked:
2 oz gin
1 oz lemon
1/2 oz maraschino
1 tsp CdV

It's hard to measure dash of CdV and Maraschino liqueur. I prefer the 1/4 oz CdV, 1/3-1/2 oz Maraschino along w 1/2-3/4 oz lemon juice and 2 oz gin. 

Must use Cocchi Americano, not Lillet Blanc.

It's good with Plymouth, even better with Bols Genever.

Kina L'avion D'or works as well instead of lillet blanc.

This is my in-laws' favorite cocktail. I made it for them once and they loved it so much that they bought all the ingredients and my father-in-law now has a card with the recipe printed on it so he can get it made at any bar they go to.

Lesson: make this for people who don't drink a lot of cocktails.

I enjoy this cocktail quite a bit. My version is an oz of each element and the dash. I will have to try it with the rinse. This is particularly great after a day working in the yard, because that is when this corpse needs reviving.

Old raj gin , Kina avion d'or, Pierre Ferrand Curaçao 

Reduce lemon juice to 2/3 or 1/2 oz