Aviation recipe
A pale violet gin sour with maraschino and creme de violette — the prettiest cocktail you'll ever make.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Coupe ·
Time: 2 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Sidecar Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin (London Dry)
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
- 0.25 oz Creme de Violette (this is what gives it the color)
How to make a Aviation
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake well for 12-15 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry.
Garnish
Brandied cherry.
Pro tip
Go easy on the creme de violette — too much and it tastes like soap. A quarter ounce is plenty. The color should be a subtle pale lavender, not deep purple. If your drink looks like Barney, you've overdone it.
History of the Aviation
Created around 1916 by Hugo Ensslin at the Hotel Wallick in New York. The recipe was published in his 1916 book 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks.' When creme de violette became unavailable in the US for decades, the drink was made without it (and lost its signature color). It came back when Rothman and Winter reintroduced their violet liqueur in 2007.
Flavour profile
Floral, Citrus, Delicate, Violet
Variations
- Blue Moon — More creme de violette, no maraschino — deeper purple
- Water Lily — Add orange juice and creme de violette to gin
- Moonlight — Use elderflower liqueur instead of creme de violette
Practise making the Aviation in the free Virtual Bar game.