Aviation Cocktail Recipe

After discovering the classic yet obscure cocktail while researching drinks to craft with our bottle of Luxardo maraschino liqueur, we were intrigued by the Aviation gin cocktail both for its name and its ingredient list.

Also, did we mention that it’s blue?

The Aviation cocktail’s history is almost as old as the aviation industry.

Innovative bartender Hugo Ensslin invented the Aviation cocktail recipe at the Hotel Wallick in New York City and included it in his book Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1916 – just 13 years after Wilbur and Orville Wright flew their plane at Kitty Hawk. While that auspicious plane flight only lasted 12 seconds, the cocktail has survived for more than a century.

Admittedly, it’s been a bit of a bumpy flight. While plane travel soared over the ensuing decades, the Aviation cocktail almost crashed into obscurity. But why?

First came prohibition when serving alcoholic beverages was taboo. Then there were issues with the drink’s ingredients. Crème de Violette, the liqueur that provides the drink’s blue hue and floral flavor, was practically impossible to buy in America for much of the 20th century. And to further complicate matters, Ensslin’s original gin of choice, El Bart, ceased production in the 1950s.

We’ve already touched on the Aviation cocktail’s short list of ingredients. This is the full ‘crew’:

While the original recipe called for now-defunct El Bart gin, we used Citadelle gin from France instead. Since any dry gin will work in this recipe, we recommend that you use your personal favorite. Better yet, use Aviation gin if you have access to the American dry gin produced in Portland. The name synergy is almost too good to be true.

Discover our favorite gin cocktails.

As is the case with most classic cocktails, crafting an Aviation is both easy and fast. We crafted ours in just five minutes using the following basic bar tools:

Discover 10 necessary bar tools for lazy mixologists.

The second step is to measure the three liquors (gin, maraschino liqueur and crème de violette) and pour each into the same shaker. We used a Japanese jigger to measure our liquors to achieve accurate measurements and clean pours. However, you can use a basic jigger or small angled measuring cup instead.

Buy a Japanese jigger if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.

The third step is to add ice to the shaker and shake it vigorously until all the ingredients are combined and chilled – about 10 to 15 seconds.

Warning
At this juncture, the Aviation drink (and your hands!) should be ready for the next step. Brrrr…

The fourth step is to strain the cocktail into a small martini glass. You’ll immediately notice the Aviation’s vivid color as the liquid hits the glass.

Pro Tip
Use a cocktail strainer to guarantee a ‘smooth landing’ into your glass.

We recommend Luxardo maraschino cherries for this and other cocktails. Not only are these cherries the original maraschinos, but we consider them to be the best maraschino cherries in the world.

Discover why we’re obsessed with Luxardo cherries.

We suggest that you follow our recipe at least once before you set your course for the stars. When you’re ready to experiment, we suggest the following Aviation alternatives:

Aviation FAQs