Aviation Cocktail (Savoy recipe)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 29.9% ABV ∙
The Aviation, following the classic Savoy recipe, is a sour built on gin, fresh lemon juice, and maraschino liqueur, omitting crème de violette. Crisp and lemon-bright at first sip, with a rounding cherry-almond sweetness from the maraschino settling underneath, tapering to a clean, dry finish.
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 with fresh cracked ice for a full 12-15 seconds; this citrus-forward mix needs vigorous agitation to chill and dilute properly before straining.
- Measure maraschino liqueur carefully — it dominates easily, and too heavy a pour turns the drink cloyingly sweet.
- Fine-strain into a chilled coupe to remove ice shards, since the small total volume warms quickly once poured into an uncoated glass.
- Skewer a single maraschino cherry and drop it in just before serving so its syrup doesn't bleed into the shake and muddy the pale color.
History
This version reflects the recipe Harry Craddock published in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, a simplified take on Hugo Ensslin's original 1916 Aviation that omitted the crème de violette, leaving just gin, lemon, and maraschino. Whether Craddock left it out deliberately or by oversight is not settled, but his version became the widely followed template for decades, while Ensslin's violette-based original was largely forgotten until its revival years later.
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 this build. Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book recipe uses just gin, lemon juice, and maraschino liqueur — the crème de violette from Hugo Ensslin's original 1916 formula is left out entirely, making this a simpler, clear gin sour rather than 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.
