This classic cocktail is one for those who like their drinks stiff, sour and aromatic. Oh, and dead simple to make.
The Aviation dates back to the early 20th century. It was first noted in the 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks, which was written by Hugo Ensslin, the head bartender at New York's Hotel Wallick. Hugo’s original recipe calls for Créme de Violette, a floral liqueur with a blue/purple tinge, giving the Aviation a blue-sky appearance – or purple, depending on the amount of liqueur used – along with the inspiration for its name.
Unfortunately, Créme de Violette became increasingly difficult to find as years went by, so much so that bartender Harry Craddock added a liqueur-less version of the Aviation to The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. And though Créme de Violette made a comeback during the craft-cocktail revolution of the 2000s, the jury is still out on whether it’s an essential ingredient. Either way, the Aviation really is delicious.
We’re fans of keeping things simple, so this recipe follows Harry Craddock’s lead and ditches the violet liqueur. Rest assured that you’ll still be enjoying a classy cocktail, with the gin, maraschino liqueur and lemon juice combining to perfectly balance the sweet and sour flavours. To lift it a notch, you can garnish it with a maraschino cherry to tie into the liqueur in the cocktail – perhaps plopped into the drink or with a few skewered and placed on the side. Either way, consider this an easy-to-mix crowd-pleaser to serve up at your next party.
