It’s safe to say that we often drive our publisher, Justin Matase, to drink. But being the sport that he is, he turns the proverbial lemons into, well, in this case, a Violet Collins, your new spring/summer cocktail perfectly refreshing as it is delicious.

Ingredients

• Ice

• 1/2 oz Crème de Violette

• 1 1/2 oz gin

• 3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 oz simple syrup

• 2 oz club soda

• Blood orange slice for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice and place in the freezer while you prepare your cocktail.

2. In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with 1 1/2 cups of ice, and shake for approximately 15 seconds.

3. Remove your glass from the freezer and pour the Crème de Violette over the ice into the chilled glass.

4. Layer the gin mix over the Crème de Violette by slowly straining it into the glass.

5. Top off with club soda.

6. Add a slice of blood orange for garnish and enjoy!

Recipe by Justin Matase / Styling by Keith Recker / Photography by Dave Bryce