Aviation Cocktail – A Beautiful Mess

I’m so excited to share this Aviation cocktail recipe with you today. This bright purple classic cocktail is made with gin, crème de violette, maraschino liqueur and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It has a sophisticated flavor that is the closest thing to a fancy bar I can create at home. You’ll love the violet color and intense flavor of this cocktail.

More classic cocktails: Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Gimlet, Sidecar, Sazerac, The Last Word, Pink Squirrel.

Ingredients

• Gin – Choose a quality gin (I used Hendrick’s).
• Maraschino Liqueur – Such as Luxardo.
• Crème De Violette – Floral liqueur. This key ingredient gives the drink its color.
• Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed.
• Optional Garnish – Maraschino cherry, lemon twist.

The best glassware choice for this cocktail is a coupe glass.

Instructions

Begin by preparing a chilled coupe glass. Just pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour before serving your cocktail. This step is optional 

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine gin, maraschino liqueur, violet liqueur and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shake for 10-15 seconds until icy cold. 

Strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or a lemon twist.

What is Crème De Violette?

Violet liqueur is really made of violets. It is made by submerging violet petals in brandy or another neutral spirit for several days. The flavor of violet liqueur is similar to violet candies—sweet and floral.

History

The Aviation cocktail is a classic, pre-Prohibition-era cocktail. It was first documented at the turn of the 20th century in Hugo Ensslin’s book “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” in 1916. At the time, Hugo Ensslin was the head bartender at Hotel Wallick in New York City. 

During the 1960s, the drink’s key ingredient, crème de violette liqueur, disappeared from the market. As a result, this recipe fell out of popularity for a time. In the 1930s, Harry Craddock included a violette-less version of the Aviation in his famous book, “The Savoy Cocktail Book.” Sadly, this purple drink was all but extinct for more than 40 years.

In 2007, importer Haus Alpenz began importing Rothman & Winter crème de violette from Austria. This came at the perfect time as classic cocktails had a huge resurgence in popularity. Now you can find the Aviation on menus across the U.S. and beyond. Currently, The Bitter Truth and Giffard also now offer violet liqueurs that work well for this recipe.

Tips for Making

• It’s such a pro move to make a chilled cocktail glass. Just pop the glass into the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour before using.
• Squeeze the outside of a lemon peel over this drink before serving to release lemon essence for extra flavor.
• Use the best gin from your home bar for this cocktail since you can really taste the flavor.
• If you like sweeter cocktails, try adding 1/8 ounce simple syrup.
• Garnish ideas: Use raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or luxardo maraschino cherries for the garnish of this delightful cocktail.
• For added flavor use light sprays of lime or run a lemon peel around the rim of the glass before mixing.
• Some people insist that stirring produces a richer flavor.

Variations

• Add a splash of Champagne to Crème De Violette for a Violete Royal cocktail.
• If you can’t get your hands on a bottle of violet liqueur, you can make this recipe without it. It is still delicious but lacks the distinctive lavender hue.

FAQ

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