Aviation

The Aviation is a pre-Prohibition cocktail that consists of gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette. Said to be created by head bartender Hugo Ensslin at the Hotel Wallick in New York City's Times Square, it was first published in 1916 in Ensslin's cocktail menual Recipes for Mixed Drinks, and further imortalize when it was featured in Harry Craddock's seminal 1930 collection Savoy Cocktail Book.

Known for its gorgeous, light-purple hue, the Aviation is a gin cocktail that's looks as good as it tastes. Though it largely follows the template of a classic gin sour — gin and lemon juice balanced by sugar, the latter in the form of maraschino liqueur — the drink's signature color and flavor comes from crème de violette, or violet liqueur. Its name is said to come from the sky-blue shade of the finished drink.

Why the Aviation works

Deeply purple in the bottle, violet liqueur is made from either natural or artificial violet flavors, whose heavily perfumed profile is meant to evoke the delicate late-winter, early-spring flowers. When made fresh, the petals of the flower are picked, submerged in brandy or a neutral spirit, and left to infuse in an airtight container for multiple days. Once the infusion is strained and sweetened, what's left is a floral, aromatic liqueur with a gorgeous violet color.

While the Aviation cocktail is perhaps the most well-known drink that features the violet liqueur, there are plenty of other uses. Add a splash to a glass of Champagne for a Violette Royal, or combine it with whiskey, lemon juice, and honey syrup for a Scotch Violet. This liqueur brings unique floral aromas and gorgeous color to any cocktail. 

When used in the Aviation, the floral violet liqueur is balanced by the natural acidity of fresh lemon juice and sweet, aromatic maraschino liqueur. Gin is the preferred spirit, whose botanical-forward profile helps cut through the richness of two powerful liqueurs. Though crème de violette is the signature addition to the drink, it can be quite pungent and easily overpower the cocktail's other ingredients with strong elements of perfume on the nose. While the recipe below calls for 1/4 ounce of the liqueur, it can be dialed back to 1 teaspoon or even just a few dashes, if you find the spirit's profile to come on too strongly.

Which crème de violette should you use?

Rothman & Winter offers a crème de violette that provides a rich, deep purple color, made from freshly harvested spring flowers in the Alps. Notably, this bottling does not use other flavors such as vanilla or berries, and may hew closest to the original profile of the Aviation.

If you can’t get your hands on crème de violette, Creme de Yvette is a sometimes more widely available liqueur made from a blend of dried violet petals, but with added ingredients like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cassis and vanilla. These all combine for a fragrant aperitif, and if used in the recipe below, you may wish to reduce the amount to a teaspoon, maximum. Another alternative is Parfait Amour, which is made by a few brands and shares the classic purple hue and floral fragrance.

Whichever liqueur you choose, the Aviation cocktail is a unique, balanced, and delicious cocktail that is sure to impress for any occasion.