Aviation
The Aviation is a dry, floral classic: gin, maraschino, crème de violette and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served straight up. Hugo Ensslin printed the first recipe in 1916 in New York, where he was head bartender at the Hotel Wallick. The violet liqueur gives the drink its pale blue colour, fitting its name.
- Preparation time
- 4 minutes
- Servings
- 1 drink
- Difficulty
- medium
- Method
- Shaken
- Glass
- Coupe, frozen
- Garnish
- Cherry
Ingredients
- 6 cl THE DUKE Rough Gin
- 1 cl maraschino
- 1 cl crème de violette
- 3 cl fresh lemon juice
Preparation
- Put the coupe in the freezer beforehand.
- Add gin, maraschino, crème de violette and fresh lemon juice to the shaker.
- Shake hard with ice.
- Double strain into the frozen coupe.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Put all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Double strain into a frosted cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.
Tips
- Use the crème de violette sparingly. Too much makes the drink perfumed rather than floral.
- A strong, juniper-forward gin holds up against the two liqueurs. That is why we use 6 cl of Rough Gin.
- Double strain so no ice shards dilute the drink.
- Without crème de violette the Aviation stays colourless. That is how it was mixed for decades, when the liqueur was unavailable in the USA.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Aviation blue to violet?
The colour comes from crème de violette, a violet liqueur. Hugo Ensslin used it in 1916 at the Hotel Wallick in New York; the delicate sky-blue tint suits the name Aviation. When the liqueur was unavailable in the USA for decades, the Aviation was mixed colourless. It has been back since 2007.
Shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The Aviation contains fresh lemon juice, and drinks with juice are shaken hard with ice so that acidity, liqueur and gin combine and the drink turns ice cold. Then double strain into the frozen coupe so no ice shards end up in the glass.
Which gin works in an Aviation?
A strong, classic dry gin that does not disappear next to maraschino and violet liqueur. We use the Rough Gin with its pronounced juniper note and pour a generous 6 cl, so the drink stays dry and the liqueurs only accent it. Very floral gins double the violet note and make the Aviation perfumed.