The Aviation An Elusive Cocktail.
The Aviation has its origins in the early 1900’s. It is mentioned in cocktail books as early as 1916. The Cocktail was probably named after those newfangled contraptions that were becoming more common overhead at the time. The Aviation is made with a couple of then hard to find liqueurs, so probably the elite were the only ones to experience this slightly floral concoction. During the Prohibition era Crème de Violette stopped being produced and the violette liqueur disappeared from Cocktail recipes. After the repeal of Prohibition, The Aviation was made with just Maraschino liqueur, as mentioned in Savoy Cocktail Book, which is a great historical reference of the 1930’s and beyond. In 2007 a new distillery started to produce Crème de Violette. It can now be found if you look hard for it.
I’ve heard about The Aviation for several years. The cocktail seems to be an elusive legendary drink. People have sought out where to give this sky blue drink a try. Only to find a few Bars have even heard of how to make it. A friend kept talking about how he enjoyed them. And was making them at home. So I decided to seek out how to make The Aviation for myself.
This Cocktail is decidedly on the floral side. It has a beautiful sky blueish purple color and soft notes of cherry and violets. A word of caution, try not to over pour the Crème de Violette. The blue liqueur will over power everything else. Keep it to just the ¼ oz or even a little less. It should be a background flavor. I encourage you to try this cocktail as something different with an old fashioned history, but with a new life.
A Cocktail from the early 1900's
- 2 oz gin
- 1/2 oz Marashino Liqueur
- 1/4 oz Crème de Violette
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 Marashino Cherry optional
- 1 small piece lemon peel optional
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Chill a martini or coup glass, by either placing in the freezer or fill with ice and water.
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To a cocktail shaker add the Gin, Marashino Liqueur, Crème de Violette, and the lemon juice
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Fill the shaker with Ice. Cover the shaker with the lid and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds until the shaker becomes ice cold and frosts up. Pour into the chilled martini or coup glass.
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Garnish with the cherry and or lemon peel.
