The Aviation was created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, in the early twentieth 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 purple color. Omitting the cherry liquor changes the drink into a blue moon which is a grey color.
Harry Craddock’s influential Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) omitted the crème de violette, calling for a mixture of two-thirds dry gin, one-third lemon juice, and two dashes of maraschino.Many later bartenders have followed Craddock’s lead, leaving out the difficult-to-find violet liqueur.
Creme Yvette, a violet liqueur made with additional spices, can be substituted in versions that call for crème de violette.
Ingredients
- 45ml Shortcross Gin
- 1 tsp Crème De Violette
- 15ml Maraschino Liqueur
- 20ml Freshly pressed lemon juice
- 10ml Simple syrup
Method
- Add ingredents to shaker
- Shake well
- Double strain into a Rocks class with crushed ice
- Garnish
Glassware
Rocks
Garnish
Maraschino cherry
Lemon Twist
