I made some flight-themed cocktails this week, after seeing a picture of an Aviation cocktail on Flickr. So really, the only thing these three cocktails have in common is that their names share a common theme.
So first, the Kamikaze.
Kamikaze
1 oz vodka
1 oz triple sec
1 oz lime juice
lime slice
I usually think of having a shot when I hear “Kamikaze,” but it turns out that it’s a proper cocktail. The IBA standard says that it should be lemon juice, but most recipes on the web seemed to say lime juice, so I went with lime juice. I really liked this drink. The sweet triple sec combined with the acidic lime juice went really well together, so it was very refreshing, while at the same time being pretty strong.
Next I tried the Aviation, the cocktail I saw on Flickr. I had to pick up two new liqueurs, though…
Aviation
2 oz gin
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz maraschino liqueur
0.25 oz crème de violette
maraschino cherry
The taste of gin was pretty strong, as you might expect from a drink that’s over half gin. The Aviation cocktail itself wasn’t all that sweet, and I think some more sweetness would’ve gone better with the cherry flavor from the maraschino and floral flavor from the crème de violette. Not bad, though, especially for a gin drink. I’ll try using the crème de violette in some other drinks, since it has a pretty purple color.
For the third cocktail, I tried making a B-52, which is usually served in a shot glass. I made it in a cocktail glass, though.
B-52
1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz Grand Marnier
I think this cocktail is more about the looks than the taste. It was pretty sweet and creamy, while at the same time having a burning sensation. Not really my favorite combination, with the creaminess and the coffee taste mixed with an orange flavor. Maybe two out of three would be OK, but all three together was kind of odd. That’s probably why it’s a shot, so that you just get it over with quickly instead of sipping these three things together.