In 2007, after formative bartending stints at Sasha Petraske’s Milk & Honey, Julie Reiner’s Flatiron Room, and Audrey Saunders’ Pegu Club in New York City, Toby Maloney decamped to Chicago to open The Violet Hour widely regarded as one of the city’s first serious cocktail bars. With the Juliet & Romeo, Maloney set out to create “a gin cocktail for people who think they don’t like gin.”

Since its debut, the drink has become a Violet Hour staple — effectively the bar’s house cocktail — and, outside of Sam Ross’s Paper Plane, one of the most recognizable modern classics to emerge from the influential bar. The recipe appears in Maloney’s 2022 book, The Bartender’s Manifesto.

Why the Juliet & Romeo works

Refreshing, aromatic, and balanced, the Juliet & Romeo is essentially a Gin Sour with a garden-forward twist. For the base spirit, the recipe in Maloney’s book calls for Beefeater, a quintessential London dry gin known for its assertive juniper backbone and bright citrus notes.

Freshly squeezed lime juice is tempered with equal parts simple syrup, ensuring the drink is neither overly sweet nor overly acidic. Muddled cucumber and mint lend a crisp, cooling freshness, while a touch of rose water amplifies the gin’s perfumed botanicals. A few drops of Angostura bitters add depth and visual contrast, blooming against the mint garnish.

The recipe also calls for a pinch of salt. In The Bartender’s ManifestoMaloney advises, “There should be just enough salt to make the cucumber pop; this is not a salty, savory drink.” Start conservatively, tasting and adjusting as you go.