Bar Lens

What is crème de violette?

Crème de violette: Violet flower liqueur, the purple in an Aviation.

Category
Liqueur
Taste
Floral and perfumed, like a violet candy.
Strength
About 16-20% ABV
Similar to
a floral, purple liqueur
Also called
violette, creme de violette, creme yvette

The story

It's the purple in the Aviation, a cocktail from Hugo Ensslin's 1916 recipe book. The liqueur vanished from the US for decades, so people made Aviations without it, until it was imported again in 2007.

More in Liqueur

All liqueur terms · Full glossary A–Z