Water Lily
ClassicEqual parts gin, violette, orange, and lemon. A modern jewel.
Floral and citrus-bright, with crème de violette's perfumed sweetness balanced by tart lemon and orange liqueur. Gin keeps a dry botanical backbone underneath — delicate, aromatic, and beautifully balanced rather than cloying.
Ingredients
- 0.75 oz Gin
- 0.75 oz Crème de Violette
- 0.75 oz Orange Liqueur
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- Orange peel · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Add every ingredient to a shaker with ice.
- 2
Shake until well chilled.
- 3
Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- 4
Express an orange peel over the surface and drop it in.
The Story
The Water Lily was created by Richard Boccato at New York's Dutch Kills around 2008, an equal-parts riff on the Aviation that leans into crème de violette rather than treating it as a whisper. It arrived as bartenders were rediscovering the floral liqueur, and its jewel-like purple hue made it an early Instagram favorite. It proves how far a well-balanced equal-parts formula can go.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
