Blue Moon Cocktail (1940's recipe)

Serve in a

Garnish:

Raspberries

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

AKA:

Blue Devil Cocktail

Review:

A relation of the Aviation Cocktail, this drink features on the back label of Créme Yvette bottles dating from the 1940s. Now once again available, consequently this liqueur is more identified with the Blue Moon than crème de violette, which appears in some other versions of the Blue Moon.

When made with crème de violette use the measures indicated here and you'll end up with a blue-grey coloured drink, as befits its name. However, when made with Crème Yvette combine the sugar and liqueur measures to create a drink that is more pink than blue. The difference in colour leads me to conclude that this classic was originally made with crème de violette.

Variant:

Aviation Cocktail

History:

This cocktail is said to have been created around 1940 by Oscar Tschirky at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York, USA. Better known as "Oscar of the Waldorf", he was maître d'hôtel at Waldorf-Astoria and is also credited for inventing the Waldorf salad and Eggs Benedict. Although he never worked as a chef, capitalising on his reputation at the hotel, he also authored a cocktail book.

The Blue Moon cocktail was lost for decades, due to production of Créme Yvette ceasing in 1969, but thanks to Créme Yvette's 2010 relaunch, has been rediscovered.

Incidentally, blue moon is an astronomical term for the second of two full moons to occur in the same calendar months.

The Blue Moon is closely related to the Aviation cocktail. More information can be found on our Aviation page.

Nutrition:

There are approximately 181 calories in one serving of Blue Moon Cocktail (1940's recipe).