Hugo Ensslin published the Aviation in Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1916, one of the last pre-Prohibition American cocktail books. The drink calls for gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice. When Prohibition ended and the craft of serious bartending resumed, Harry Craddock included the Aviation in the Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) but omitted the crème de violette. It wasn't available in England. For decades after, bartenders made Aviations without the violet liqueur, missing the ingredient that defines the drink's color and character.
The craft cocktail revival of the 2000s tracked down crème de violette, reintroduced it, and restored the original recipe. The Aviation is, in effect, a pre-Prohibition document: it tastes like something from a world before industrial bar programs, made with care and unusual ingredients that most bars didn't bother to stock. The purple-grey color is not a garnish trick. It comes from the violet liqueur, and it's part of what the drink is.
Gin (The Botanist or Beefeater)
1.5 oz
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1.5 oz
Crème de Violette
1 oz
Filtered Water
Instructions
Combine gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and water in 500ml bottle
