Tempus Fugit Spirits Liqueur de Violettes is the violet liqueur the Aviation cocktail was waiting for — a 22% ABV (44 proof) liqueur in a 750mL bottle, made in small micro-batches in Switzerland by distiller Oliver Matter for Tempus Fugit Spirits. Built from a mid-19th-century French recipe, it uses hand-harvested French violets from the Côte d’Azur and cochineal for its electric fuchsia hue — no artificial dye. With lower sugar than a crème de violette, it’s classified as a liqueur, not a crème. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 22% ABV (44 proof) — 750mL
- Recipe: mid-19th-century French formula; hand-harvested Côte d’Azur violets
- Production: micro-batches in Switzerland by Oliver Matter
- Color: natural cochineal — fuchsia, not purple
- Style: drier and less sweet than crème de violette
Lost Liqueurs, Found Again
Tempus Fugit Spirits was founded in 2007 to resurrect the great pre-Prohibition liqueurs from original 19th-century recipes — the bottles the classic cocktails were actually built on. The Liqueur de Violettes is one of its signature revivals: before it, a proper Aviation was nearly impossible to make, because modern “crème de violette” had drifted into something sweeter, blander, and artificially purple. This is the old thing, made the old way. Shop more liqueurs or browse everything from Tempus Fugit Spirits at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Bright lavender, dried violet, and fresh clover over a floral, lightly sweet base — vividly perfumed without tipping into soapiness, with a clean, dry-ish finish for a violet liqueur.
How to Enjoy
This is the Aviation’s missing ingredient: 2 oz gin, 3/4 oz lemon, 1/2 oz maraschino, 1/4 oz Liqueur de Violettes. It also lifts a gin sour or a champagne cocktail with a quarter-ounce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between liqueur de violettes and crème de violette?
Sugar: this bottling has lower sugar content than a crème, so it’s classified as a liqueur — drier, more floral, more versatile in cocktails.
Is it really 44% alcohol?
No — it’s 44 proof, which is 22% ABV. A common misread; the official spec is 22%.
Where is it made?
In small batches in Switzerland by distiller Oliver Matter, for the California-based Tempus Fugit Spirits brand.
The violet liqueur the classics deserve — order Tempus Fugit Liqueur de Violettes from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
