- 2 oz gin
- 1/2 oz Luxardo maraschino liquor
- 1/2 oz creme de violette
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1 real maraschino cherry
Shake with ice and pour into a cocktail glass.
Sink one real maraschino cherry for a garnish.
— Classic Recipe No. 36 —
Aviation
I like Hendricks gin. Although, Josh always tells me to use a less herbal gin for my Aviations because the Rose in the Hendricks and the Violette fight each other. I don’t think my palette is quite there yet.
With that amount of Violette in it, no doubt it will clash. !
Franklin, what’s your favorite ratio? I’ve seen so many variations on this classic. Everyone has their own take.
Just tried this as listed here. It was the first time I’ve made one with the Creme de Violette in it (I’ve always wanted to but never got around to buying the Violette). I don’t know that I agree with Franklin’s post that this recipe has too much Violette in it. My issue with this drink in general is that the balance is hard to find; both lemon juice and Maraschino are very strong and easily overpower other ingredients in a drink. The Violette is so subtle that apart from the color and the increased sweetness, the flavor only barely peaks through.
I think I’m going to try this again, but with a ratio something like 2.5 oz gin, 0.5 oz maraschino, 0.5 oz violette, and 0.25 oz lemon juice.
This is a valid debate. Actually you can debate whether violette actually goes in an Aviation. Ted Haigh from the book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails claims it’s a different cocktail called the Blue Moon. The Blue Moon drops the Luxardo completely. The recipe isn’t set in stone feel free to adjust to your palette and specific ingredients.
I thought Aviation without Violette was only an emergency solution. Without the Violette, how would you get that elegant, ‘airy’ look? I read (wish I remembered where) that looking like a cloud is what gave the cocktail this name in the first place , when it became fashionable to drink on dirigible journeys.
On a side note, we can probably thank the resurgence of an interest in Empress Elizabeth of Austria and increased tourism in search of “Sisi” related items for the Rothman & Winter Violette (made in Austria). She loved violets .. it sells well now.