Aviation
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.7% ABV ∙
The Aviation is a shaken gin sour made with maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice, served up in a coupe. Tart lemon leads, gin juniper settles underneath, and a faint floral-violet note colors the finish without turning the drink sweet.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 50 mlMaraschino liqueur 15 mlCrème de Violette liqueur 10 mlLemon juice 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Measure crème de violette carefully—more than the small amount called for turns the drink purple and overly perfumed, muting the gin.
- Shake hard with plenty of ice for 12-15 seconds to properly dilute and chill the citrus-and-liqueur mix before fine-straining into a chilled coupe.
- Add the lemon juice last against the ice so the acidic component doesn't sit and slightly cook the maraschino and violette flavors before shaking.
- Express the lemon twist's oils over the surface, then rub the rim before dropping it in, since no other garnish balances the floral liqueurs.
History
The Aviation was created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, in the early twentieth century, with its first published recipe appearing in his 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks. Ensslin's original formula called for gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette, the violet liqueur that gave the drink its pale blue-lavender color and, by most accounts, its name, evoking a clear sky. When Harry Craddock printed the cocktail in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, he omitted the crème de violette, leaving a gin, lemon, and maraschino sour; this violette-free version became the one most bartenders knew for decades, since the liqueur grew hard to find and eventually disappeared from the American market by the 1960s. The two lines of the recipe, Ensslin's original with crème de violette and Craddock's version without it, coexisted as rival standards until the liqueur was reintroduced commercially in the late 2000s, reviving the original blue-hued formula alongside the long-dominant Savoy version.
FAQ
What is in an Aviation cocktail?
Gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served up in a coupe with a lemon twist. The gin leads, with the maraschino and violette adding a light sweetness and floral color rather than dominating the drink.
Why is it called an Aviation cocktail?
The name comes from the pale violet-blue tint the crème de violette gives the drink, which early drinkers likened to a clear sky, tying the cocktail to the golden age of early flight.
Can you make an Aviation without crème de violette?
Yes, though it changes the drink's character. Leaving it out gives a cleaner gin, maraschino, and lemon sour without the floral note or pale violet color that defines the classic look of an Aviation.
What is the best gin for an Aviation cocktail?
A London dry gin, which is what this build uses, works best because its firm juniper and citrus backbone hold up against the maraschino and crème de violette. A softer, more delicate gin tends to get overpowered by the two liqueurs.
How much alcohol is in an Aviation cocktail?
This build comes to about 28.7% ABV, making it a fairly strong, spirit-forward drink despite the citrus and liqueurs softening the gin.
Is an Aviation shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lemon juice needs the aeration and quick chill of a hard shake; stirring would leave the citrus flat and the drink under-diluted.
