Aviation (cocktail)

Aviation is a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. Some recipes omit the crème de violette. It is served straight up, in a cocktail glass.

History

The Aviation was created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, in the early 20th century. The first published recipe for the drink appeared in Ensslin's 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks. Ensslin's recipe called for 1½ oz. El Bart gin, ¾ oz. lemon juice, 2 dashes maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes crème de violette, a violet liqueur which gives the cocktail a pale sky-blue color.

Preparation

The Aviation is made by combining the gin, lemon juice, and maraschino liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice and shaking well. This is then strained into a cocktail glass and the crème de violette is added last, giving the drink its signature blue color.

Variations

There are many variations of the Aviation cocktail. Some recipes omit the crème de violette, others add a cherry garnish. The Blue Moon cocktail is a similar drink that uses crème Yvette, a violet liqueur similar to crème de violette, instead of maraschino liqueur.

See also

• List of cocktails
• Cocktail glass
• Maraschino
• Crème de violette