Water Lily

About the Water Lily

Water Lily is a shaken cocktail that pairs Timber Creek Florida Gin with Cointreau, lemon juice, and Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette, finished with an orange twist in a chilled coupe. Its pale lavender color comes from the creme de violette, making it as visually distinctive as it is flavorful. Cointreau brings a clean, concentrated orange sweetness, lemon juice supplies the necessary acidity, and the creme de violette layers in a delicate, floral perfume that defines the drink’s character more than any other single ingredient. Timber Creek’s Florida Gin, distilled grain-to-glass on the Crestview farm, has a clean botanical base sturdy enough to support the violette’s strong floral note without getting overpowered by it, which keeps the drink tasting balanced rather than like straight perfume.

To build Water Lily, shake the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, and creme de violette hard with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. Finish with an expressed orange twist, which adds a citrus oil aroma that helps ground the floral sweetness underneath. Its light, floral profile pairs naturally with lemon tart, goat cheese, and fresh berries, and it also works well alongside a cucumber salad or shrimp cocktail for a lighter spring or summer spread. Creme de violette is a strong flavoring agent even in small amounts, so measure it carefully; too heavy a pour will push the drink from pleasantly floral into something closer to soap, undercutting the balance the recipe is going for.

It also plates well for a small gathering, since the lavender color makes an appealing centerpiece on a tray of coupes; keep the glasses chilled ahead of time so the color and aroma both show at their best. Given how easy drinking its floral sweetness makes it, enjoy Water Lily in moderation and pace yourself over the course of an evening.

Water Lily is a shaken cocktail that pairs Timber Creek Florida Gin with Cointreau, lemon juice, and Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette, finished with an orange twist in a chilled coupe. Its pale lavender color comes from the creme de violette, making it as visually distinctive as it is flavorful. Cointreau brings a clean, concentrated orange sweetness, lemon juice supplies the necessary acidity, and the creme de violette layers in a delicate, floral perfume that defines the drink’s character more than any other single ingredient. Timber Creek’s Florida Gin, distilled grain-to-glass on the Crestview farm, has a clean botanical base sturdy enough to support the violette’s strong floral note without getting overpowered by it, which keeps the drink tasting balanced rather than like straight perfume.

To build Water Lily, shake the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, and creme de violette hard with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. Finish with an expressed orange twist, which adds a citrus oil aroma that helps ground the floral sweetness underneath. Its light, floral profile pairs naturally with lemon tart, goat cheese, and fresh berries, and it also works well alongside a cucumber salad or shrimp cocktail for a lighter spring or summer spread. Creme de violette is a strong flavoring agent even in small amounts, so measure it carefully; too heavy a pour will push the drink from pleasantly floral into something closer to soap, undercutting the balance the recipe is going for.

It also plates well for a small gathering, since the lavender color makes an appealing centerpiece on a tray of coupes; keep the glasses chilled ahead of time so the color and aroma both show at their best. Given how easy drinking its floral sweetness makes it, enjoy Water Lily in moderation and pace yourself over the course of an evening.