Aviation Cocktail (Savoy recipe)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 23.7% ABV ∙
The Aviation Cocktail in its Savoy form is a gin sour of London dry gin, maraschino liqueur and fresh lemon juice, made without crème de violette.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 50 mlMaraschino liqueur 20 mlLemon juice 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Shake hard over fresh cracked ice for a full 12-15 seconds so the drink is properly cold and diluted before you fine-strain it.
- Keep the maraschino to 20 ml; it takes over easily, and any more turns the drink cloying.
History
The Aviation Cocktail (Savoy recipe) follows the formula Harry Craddock published in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930: gin, lemon, and maraschino, without the crème de violette of Hugo Ensslin's original 1916 Aviation. Whether Craddock left the violette out deliberately or by oversight is not settled. His version became the widely followed template for decades, while Ensslin's original was largely forgotten until crème de violette returned to the US market in 2007.
FAQ
Is an Aviation Cocktail shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lemon juice needs the aeration and quick chill of a shake; stirring would leave the drink flat and under-diluted.
What glass is an Aviation Cocktail served in?
A coupe glass, served up with a maraschino cherry garnish and no ice in the glass.
Does an Aviation Cocktail have crème de violette in it?
Not in the Savoy recipe, which keeps only gin, lemon juice and maraschino liqueur. Without the violette it is a plain gin sour, not the pale lavender drink most people picture.
Is the Aviation Cocktail vegan?
Yes, it is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since it contains only gin, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice with no animal-derived ingredients.
