“I wanted to have a true Las Vegas cocktail. You don’t hear too many of those out there,” says Comme Ça mixologist Lenard Peterson of his new Howard Hughes ($15). With almost 40 million tourists coming to town in 2012 and the amount of booze they consumed, it’s about time.
In 1966, a Las Vegas Sun front-page column by publisher Hank Greenspun welcomed billionaire Howard Hughes, who became one of the most influential people in the history of our city. His namesake cocktail has the depth and soft warmth of Courvoisier, with Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette adding a layer that evokes a deep inhalation of blooming violets. A bit of fresh lemon and you have the perfect libation for Comme Ça patio sipping.
Howard Hughes
Ingredients:
2 oz. Courvoisier Exclusif cognac
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. Luxardo maraschino syrup
1 oz. Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette
Luxardo soaked brandy cherry (garnish)
Method: Pour Crème de Violette into an old-fashioned glass. Add ice. Build the cognac, lemon juice and maraschino syrup in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into old-fashioned glass. Garnish with cherry.
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