This classic cocktail combines gin, maraschino liqueur and crème de violette to give you a truly soaring experience.
I had heard of the Aviation cocktail for years. In my youth, my assumption was there were a few different drinks that fell under the umbrella of “aviation”. I believed these to be beverages that pilots or aviators would drink, or were inspired by their exploits. Turns out, the Aviation is a single gin-based concoction that wasn’t invented by a pilot or aviator. And it first came about when air travel was in its infancy.
During the early years of the twentieth century, a gentleman named Hugo Ensslin was the head bartender for the Hotel Wallick in New York. It was there that he crafted an elegant and sophisticated tipple using El Bart gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur and crème de violette, which is a brandy-based and violet flower infused liqueur.
By 1930, author Harry Craddock published his Savoy Cocktail Book, which proved to be quite the bible in the world of mixed drinks. Within its pages, Craddock included a recipe for the Aviation, but completely omitted the crème de violette, calling only for the gin, lemon juice and maraschino liqueur to be used. Through the years, many bartenders followed this tome’s instructions and never used the sometimes hard-to-find floral spirit.
We’ll be making this drink the way it was originally enjoyed, using all the ingredients including the crème de violette. As you admire its deep purple tone, you’ll soon be marveling at the floral, tart and sweet notes each sip brings. And as each taste rolls past your lips, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in a darkened, refined cocktail lounge in 1900s New York City, ready for any adventure that may come your way.
What is the Best Gin to use in an Aviation Cocktail?
Because of the sweetness of the maraschino and crème de violette, as well as the tart, tangy bite of the lemon juice, a stalwart and traditional London Dry gin is the best spirit to use as the base for your Aviation. A bottle of Bombay, Tanqueray or Beefeater will have the right amount of herbaceous and citrus infusions to give you a well-balanced drink. My favorite is No. 3, and the cocktails you make using it will be velvety smooth.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 ounce crème de violette
- Maraschino cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Start by filling a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add the gin, maraschino liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and crème de violette to the shaker.
- Shake the mixture vigorously for about 15-20 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or martini glass, using a strainer to catch any ice or sediment.
- Garnish it with a maraschino cherry. You can either drop the cherry directly into the drink or skewer it with a toothpick.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish is used?
Chill a martini glass or cocktail coupe in your freezer for fifteen to thirty minutes. After you’ve poured your Aviation into it, pop a maraschino cherry in for garnish.
What can you use instead of crème de violette?
If you cannot find the violet liqueur, a suitable substitute is Crème Yvette, which is also infused with violet petals as well as fruits like raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. Elderflower liqueur works nicely too, but provides a different floral flavor.
Similar Cocktails To the Aviation
The Aviation is included on the IBA’s list of official cocktails, in the “Unforgettables” category. If you like a fancy dram to wind down with at the end of a hard day, and the Aviation is your kind of drink, Twist & Toast has some legendary recipes to share with you. Try some of these at your next cocktail party.
- Boulevardier – Bourbon and Campari combine to bring this first-rate tipple to life.
- Vieux Carré – This historic drink hails from the Jazz-soaked streets of New Orleans.
- Manhattan – Whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters make this simple recipe an iconic one.
- Gin Martini – A monument in the cocktail world, and one that never goes out of fashion.
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