The aviation is a classic

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

made with

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis''). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...

maraschino Maraschino ( , ) is a liqueur obtained from the distillation of Marasca cherries. The small, slightly sour fruit of the Tapiwa cherry tree ( ''Prunus cerasus'' var. ''marasca''), which grows wild along parts of the Dalmatian coast in Croatia, le ...

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...

crème de violette Crème de violette, also known as liqueur de violette, is a generic term for a liqueur with natural and/or artificial violet flower flavoring and coloring with either a brandy base, a neutral spirit base, or a combination of the two. The taste pr ...

, and

lemon juice The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...

. 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 A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but a ...

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

, a violet

which gives the cocktail a pale purple color.

Harry Craddock Harry Craddock (29 August 1876 – 25 January 1963) was an English bartender who became one of the most famous bartenders of the 1920s and 1930s. He is known for his tenure at the Savoy Hotel in London, and for his 1930 book, ''The Savoy Cocktail ...

'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 Creme Yvette, also called Creme d'Yvette or Creme de Yvette, is a proprietary liqueur made from parma violet petals with blackberries, red raspberries, wild strawberries and cassis, honey, orange peel and vanilla. It was once manufactured by Ch ...

, a violet liqueur made with additional spices, is sometimes substituted for crème de violette.

Related cocktails

* The aviation can be considered a variation on the

Gin sour A sour is a traditional family of mixed drinks. ''Sours'' belong to one of the old families of original cocktails and are described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book ''How to Mix Drinks''.Paul ClarkeMake Yourself Comfortable September 25, 2005. ...

, using maraschino as its sweetener. * The Blue Moon cocktail is made with gin, lemon juice, and crème de violette or Creme Yvette, without maraschino. * The Moonlight cocktail is made with gin, lime juice,

Cointreau Cointreau (, , ) is a brand of orange-flavoured triple sec liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is consumed as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called Curaçao ...

, and crème de violette. * Takumi's aviation is made with gin, maraschino liqueur, parfait d'amour, and lemon juice. The drink was created by Takumi Watanabe. It was recorded in

Gary Regan Gary "Gaz" Regan (September 18, 1951 – November 15, 2019) was a British-born bartender and a bar-writer in the U.S. He was known for his book ''The Joy of Mixology''. Early life Regan began tending bar in his parents' British pubs when he wa ...

's ''The Joy of Mixology'' (2017).

References

{{IBACocktails Cocktails with gin Cocktails with liqueur Cocktails with crème de violette

History

Related cocktails

See also

References