huntington special

Juice 1 Lime (1 oz)
1/2 barspoon Sugar
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Violette (Crème Yvette)
1/5 jigger Jamaican Rum (0.3 oz Smith & Cross)
4/5 jigger Brandy (1.2 oz Pedro Domecq Fundador Solera Reserva)

Stir sugar with juices until dissolved. Add rest of ingredients and ice, shake, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Sundays ago, I had just finished writing up the Lilac Domino post for the Mixology Monday "Floral Cocktails" event, and I was still in a flowery mood. I, therefore, found the Huntington Special in Ted Saucier's Bottom's Up. The drink which features crème de violette was created at the Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California. The hotel was originally called the Hotel Wentworth when it opened in 1907, but after financial problems, the hotel was purchased by railroad magnate Henry Edwards Huntington in 1911 and was renamed the Huntington Hotel when it reopened in 1914. Although I could find little about the hotel's restaurants or bars, the hotel is famous for having California's first outdoor Olympic-size swimming pool. The hotel changed hands to various chains throughout the years, but it is still open today as the Langham Huntington.
Instead of reaching for my regular crème de violette, I opted to use our new purchase of Crème Yvette for I felt that its extra berry notes would pay dividends in this drink. The Crème Yvette donated a floral aroma to the Huntington Special that was accompanied by a hint of pineapple. The sip was slightly tart and contained the lime juice and Crème Yvette's berry flavors. Next, the swallow contained the pineapple and Spanish brandy notes; at the end, there was a slight Smith & Cross funk but otherwise the drink finished rather cleanly. Overall, the Huntington Special was rather elegant and tropical of a recipe and must have been worthy of the luxurious resort destination that the Huntington Hotel was back in the day.