Name: Arte de Volar
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Blanco tequila; 7.5 ml Crème de violette; 7.5 ml Lavender sugar syrup; 20 ml Lime juice; 2.5 ml Sugar syrup (2:1); 10 ml Chilled water

Arte de Volar
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Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
2 oz	Patrón Silver blanco tequila
¹⁄₄ oz	Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette Liqueur
¹⁄₄ oz	Monin Lavender Syrup
²⁄₃ oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
0.08 oz	Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
¹⁄₃ oz	Chilled water omit if using wet ice

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare garnish of lime zest twist.
SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Express lime zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Tequila replaces gin in this Margarita-like riff on an Aviation cocktail – 'Arte de Volar' is Spanish for 'Art of Flying'. As with the original gin-based classic, notes of violet subtly influence with citrus juice freshening and adding balance.

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AKA: Tequila Aviation

History:

Created in February 2017 by yours truly at the Cabinet Room, London, England. I modified this recipe in May 2020 by switching from lemon to lime juice and from maraschino liqueur to lavender syrup. A move further away from the Aviation but to a better cocktail.

My original 2017 Arte de Volar recipe:
1¾ Blanco tequila
½ Maraschino liqueur
¼ Crème de violet
½ Freshly squeezed lemon juice

More cocktails by Simon Difford

Nutrition:

One serving of Arte de Volar contains 185 calories

Alcohol content:

1.3 standard drinks
17.44% alc./vol. (17.44° proof)
18.8 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Alexander Mzelski

2nd January at 19:44

Absolutely perfect.

Probably the best riff on Aviation. Do not omit lavender syrup, I've made mine in like 15 minutes. Combination of lavender and violette creates a beautiful floral interplay

Jim Bauch

23rd June 2024 at 21:56

For those who can't find lavender syrup, it's easy to make your own: just bring 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and a bunch of fresh or dried lavender to a boil, stir to dissolve the sugar, turn off the heat and let steep for about 20 minutes.

Then fine strain to remove the lavender. The result is roughly the color of elderflower liqueur, but you can add a drop of red and one of blue food coloring to make it lavender-colored (though in this recipe the creme de violette takes care of that).

Calvin Grant

6th January 2024 at 04:04

Had no lavender syrup, simply substituted marachino liqueur at the same purportions as the current recipe with supurb results. Pleasantly dry and well balanced. Biggles Aviation is a favorite and now so is this. Must find the elusive lavender syrup.

Daniel Shirk

26th May 2024 at 22:23

They have lavender syrup at Total Wine. I just bought some; hence, I tried this recipe. 👍👍

1 reply

Lugless Booth

6th April 2023 at 13:11

Here's my spin:
2 oz. Tequila (used Cuervo blue agave Silver)
.25 oz Crème de Violette
.25 oz Lavender Syrup
.67 Lime juice
1/12 oz. agave syrup
1.5 dash Bittermen's Burlesque Bitters
Shake with Ice – serve “Up” Lime rim garnish

Made 7 of these for guests yesterday - very pleased with the results!

Malea Kneen

14th February 2023 at 23:34

We’re relocating so we have to drink the bar. Supplies are running low. Thus I made this with mezcal. It was surprisingly OK. Burnt flowers? Incense? Used 10 mL lavender syrup and no simple.

Diana Kingsbury

3rd August 2022 at 23:42

The only change I made to this was subbing in hibiscus-honey syrup for the sugar syrup (a natural, since jamaica goes so well with tequila). It's only a tiny change (1/2 tsp!), but that little tweak tasted fantastic... AND resulted in the loveliest shade of lavender for the drink!

Florian Ruf

24th July 2022 at 13:48

I think bartending is like music making: there are professionals and amateurs. This cocktail seems to be difficult to remake, I simply could not match the great first version .-(

Sean Baron

17th June 2022 at 21:52

Considering I drink gin like it’s going out of fashion, this is so much better!

Florian Ruf

29th May 2022 at 13:40

I am not a lover of flowery liqueurs, but in this cocktail it blends perfect with the tequila blanco. Very good and much more interesting than the elder version!