What I’m Drinking: The Blue Train
The Blue Train can refer to a number of things. There’s the seminal album by jazz master John Coltrane. There’s the Poirot-featuring mystery novel by Agatha Christie (and to follow the literary theme, I believe a Blue Train bookstore in GA). There’s the actual train that’s called the Blue Train in South Africa (and there used to be a Blue Train in France, too, where the Christie took place). And then there are at least two drinks (I’ve featured them both), and my guess is there are probably like 10 more Blue Train cocktails I don’t know off the top of my head. That’s a lot of Blue Trains, and I’m sure I’m missing something (and I’m guessing there are Blues Trains galore, too). Whew, it’s enough to make one need a drink. Today, I’m going with the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, and crème de violette version. Without the latter and with an egg white, depending on your egg-white-ness, that’s a White Lady of course, who probably rode a Blue Train once, but see, it’s not a White Lady cause of the crème de violette, which is really why I’m having this today, as I had a hankering for a crème de violette cocktail, and have a fondness for that flowery liqueur. Also, without the Cointreau and with maraschino, it is of course the high-flying Aviation cocktail. But I was feeling orange-y, and that gets to my typing less and drinking more. So, all aboard? I’d hope so.
The Blue Train
Ice cubes
1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce crème de violette
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, and crème de violette. Shake briefly.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
