Aviation

The Aviation is a gin cocktail that emerged in the early 20th century. Its first known printed recipe appeared in 1916 in Hugo Ensslin’s *Recipes for Mixed Drinks*, calling for gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette. The violet liqueur gives the drink its distinctive pale-blue hue, often associated with the sky and the cocktail’s name.

Harry Craddock’s influential "The Savoy Cocktail Book" published a version in 1930 without crème de violette, which served useful when that ingredient faded from the market in the '60s. The resulting version is less floral, more tart, and lacks the original’s color. As crème de violette became available again thanks to Haus Alpenz in 2007, bartenders revived Ensslin’s formulation, and both versions remain in use today. Crème de violette has a very concentrated floral taste, so use it sparingly to avoid feeling like you're drinking a bouquet.