Every June, people in America (and around the world) celebrate Pride. The month long celebration honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan where protestors fought for the rights of LGBTQ+ citizens, which is responsible for the modern gay rights movement. Numerous restaurants and bars across the country have a variety of special items on their menus in honor of the occasion this month.
At Ophelia, the cocktail lounge/restaurant atop the Beekman Tower in Midtown East, Ophelia's Pride Aviation ($18) is on offer for those patrons looking to feel extra prideful this month. The cocktail features gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, lemon juice, egg white and simple syrup. Crafted by head bartender Amir Babayoff, the crème de violette turns the drink a lovely lilac color, and he uses a plastic stencil to etch a lambda on top with Peychaud's Bitters. (The lambda is a popular symbol for gay pride and activism.) As an added bonus, $1 of each cocktail sold will be donated to The Trevor Project, a national organization that provides "crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth."
For those outside of New York City or simply unable to make their way to Ophelia, Babayoff shares how to make this cocktail at home. Cheers, queers!
Ophelia's Pride Aviation
Recipe courtesy of head bartender Amir BabayoffIngredients
2 ounces Empress 1908 gin
0.5 ounces maraschino liqueur
0.75 ounces lemon juice
0.25 ounces creme de Violette
1 egg white
1 bar spoon simple syrup
Peychaud's Bitters, for spraying
Method
Add all of the ingredients except the bitters to a shaker and shake vigorously until foamy (the dry shake). Add ice and continue to shake until chilled (the wet shake). Double strain the cocktail into a coupe and spray with the bitters.
Note: The lambda stencil was made from the top of a plastic container. If you don't want to make a stencil, you can forego it.
Photos courtesy of Ophelia.
