Professional photograph of a Aviation cocktail with garnish in elegant bar setting

Cocktail

Aviation

The Aviation cocktail is a classic drink that combines gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and fresh lemon juice, resulting in a beautifully balanced and aromatic concoction. Its pale lavender hue and floral notes evoke a sense of elegance, making it a timeless choice for cocktail enthusiasts. Often garnished with a cherry or a lemon twist, the Aviation is both refreshing and sophisticated.

  • floral
  • fruity
  • tart
  • slightly bitter
Elena
By ElenaClassic Cocktails & Gin ExpertPublished Reviewed
Prep Time
4 min
Glass
Cocktail glass
Difficulty
Intermediate
ABV
18%
Yields
1 serving
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At its core, the Aviation is a gin-forward cocktail that takes about 4 minutes to make. The result is floral and fruity — worth every second. Consistently one of the most popular cocktail party searches, and for good reason.

Key Takeaways

What you’ll learn

  • The Aviation cocktail is a pre-Prohibition classic featuring gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and fresh lemon juice.
  • Crème de violette gives the Aviation its signature sky-blue color and delicate floral notes.
  • Created by Hugo Ensslin in 1916, the Aviation nearly disappeared before experiencing a modern revival when Rothman & Winter reintroduced crème de violette to the US market in 2007.
  • The key to a perfect Aviation is balancing the floral violette with quality London Dry gin and proper shaking technique.
  • Use only 1/4 oz of crème de violette — too much turns the drink soapy and overpoweringly perfumed.

Ingredients

Serves
1 serving
Glass
Cocktail glass
Prep
4 min
  • 4.5 clGin
  • 1.5 cllemon juice
  • 1.5 clmaraschino liqueur

Method

Preparation

  1. 01

    Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Origin

History & Origins

The Aviation cocktail first appeared in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book "Recipes for Mixed Drinks." Ensslin was the head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York City, and his book documented many of the era's most popular cocktails. The original recipe included all four main ingredients: gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette, creating a drink whose ethereal purple-blue hue was said to evoke the pale sky seen from an airplane — hence the name.

The cocktail's history took a dramatic turn when Harry Craddock published his influential "Savoy Cocktail Book" in 1930. His Aviation recipe omitted the crème de violette entirely, likely because the ingredient had become virtually impossible to source in post-Prohibition America. For decades, many bartenders created "Aviations" without violette, essentially producing a gin sour with maraschino. While still delicious, these drinks lacked the signature color and floral character that made the original special.

The Aviation experienced near extinction during the mid-20th century before being rediscovered by craft cocktail enthusiasts in the early 2000s. The turning point came in 2007 when Rothman & Winter reintroduced their crème de violette to the American market, making it possible to recreate authentic Aviations once again. Today, several brands produce quality crème de violette, including The Bitter Truth and Tempus Fugit, and the Aviation has been firmly restored to its rightful place on craft cocktail menus worldwide.

Today, several brands produce quality crème de violette, including The Bitter Truth and Tempus Fugit, and the Aviation has been firmly restored to its rightful place on craft cocktail menus worldwide.

Maraschino liqueur, the cocktail's other key ingredient, also carries a rich history. Luxardo has been producing their maraschino liqueur in Italy since 1821, fermenting and distilling the entire Marasca cherry — including the pits, stems, and skins — using methods largely unchanged for two centuries. This complex production process creates the subtle cherry-almond character that is absolutely essential to the Aviation's flavor profile.

Bartender’s Insight

Pro Tips

Use only 1/4 oz of crème de violette. A little goes a long way — too much makes the drink taste soapy and overtly perfumed.

From Elena

  • London Dry gin is the right choice here. Avoid heavily botanical or floral craft gins that compete with the violette; juniper-forward expressions like Tanqueray or Beefeater provide the backbone the drink needs.

  • Double-strain through a Hawthorne and a fine-mesh strainer for a silky-smooth texture without ice chips or lemon pulp.

  • Pre-chill your coupe in the freezer for at least 15 minutes — the Aviation is a shaken drink served up, so glass temperature matters.

  • Shake hard for 15–20 seconds. This drink benefits from vigorous agitation to fully integrate the citrus and give it the cleanest flavor.

  • Use Luxardo maraschino cherries for garnish, not the bright-red supermarket variety. The dark, complex Luxardo cherry echoes the maraschino liqueur in the cocktail itself.

At the Table

Perfect Pairings

Smoked salmon blinis with crème fraîche
Lemon tarts or violet macarons
Mild fresh cheeses such as chèvre or ricotta
Prosciutto with melon
Light cucumber finger sandwiches

Beyond the Classic

Variations

Aviation Without Violette

The pre-2007 bartender's version: gin, lemon juice, and maraschino liqueur only. Lacks the signature color but remains a sophisticated gin sour with subtle cherry-almond sweetness. A good gateway drink for those who find the floral version too intense.

Japanese Aviation

Substitute a Japanese gin such as Roku or Ki No Bi and replace the lemon juice with yuzu juice. Maintains the Aviation's elegant structure while adding yuzu's citrus complexity and a distinctly Asian botanical character.

Pink Aviation

Swap crème de violette for crème de rose. The technique is identical but the flavor profile shifts toward a more pronounced floral rose note and the color turns soft pink rather than sky blue.

Last Word

A spiritual cousin of the Aviation: equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice. Swaps the violet floral notes for bold herbal complexity. (3/4 oz each of all four ingredients, shaken and served up.)

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Questions

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Aviation Recipe — Authentic Gin Cocktail | Hero Cocktails | Hero Cocktails