Aviation
Gin, maraschino, crème de violette, and lemon — a violet-hued pre-Prohibition gin sour from 1916.
The Aviation is a gin sour cocktail combining London Dry gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette (violet liqueur), and fresh lemon juice, producing a pale lavender-violet colour. The recipe first appears in Hugo Ensslin's *Recipes for Mixed Drinks* (1916). The crème de violette was omitted in the popularised version in Harry Craddock's *The Savoy Cocktail Book* (1930), and the purple colour was lost; the original violet-hued version was restored by the cocktail revival movement when Rothman & Winter began exporting crème de violette to the United States in 2007. The cocktail's distinctive colour and the aviation-sky visual reference make it one of the more visually recognisable pre-Prohibition recipes.
Quick facts
- Type
- Classic Recipe
- Base spirits
- london dry gin, maraschino, creme de violette
- Era
- 1916–present
- Origin
- New York City, United States
- Glass
- coupe
- IBA listed
- Yes — Official IBA cocktail
Hugo Ensslin's 1916 Recipe and the Missing Violet
Hugo Ensslin worked as a bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York and published Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1916, which contains the first documented Aviation recipe: gin, maraschino, crème de violette, and lemon juice. Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) — one of the most influential cocktail books of the 20th century — included the Aviation but omitted crème de violette, likely because the liqueur was difficult to source in England at the time. This omission caused the lavender-violet colour to disappear from the standard recipe for decades. When the cocktail revival of the 2000s returned to pre-Prohibition sources, researchers found Ensslin's original formula, and Rothman & Winter's Austrian crème de violette became available in the United States in 2007, restoring the visual character.
Maraschino Liqueur and Crème de Violette
Maraschino is a clear, dry liqueur made from the distillation of Marasca cherries (including the pits) from Dalmatia. The Luxardo family has produced it in Padua, Italy since 1821. It has a dry, nutty, slightly sweet cherry character with an almond-like quality from the cherry pit distillate. It is used in small quantities (1–2 tsp) as a modifier in gin-based cocktails. Crème de violette is a violet-flavoured liqueur, typically produced at 16–25% ABV, with a sweet, floral, slightly earthy flavour. The combination of maraschino (nutty-cherry) with crème de violette (floral-violet) and lemon (citrus acid) against a gin (botanical) base creates the Aviation's distinctive aromatic complexity.
Sources & further reading (1)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-08
Frequently asked questions
What does crème de violette taste like and how much should be used?
Crème de violette has a sweet, distinctly floral aroma and flavour derived from violet flower extract — often described as 'perfumed' or 'floral' with a slightly earthy, rooty undertone. It is used sparingly (typically 1.5 ml / 0.05 oz) because the violet flavour dominates at higher doses and becomes unpleasantly perfumy. The IBA recipe calls for 1.5 cl (15 ml), which other formulas consider too much — many craft bartenders prefer 7.5 ml. The pale lavender colour develops even at very low concentrations.
What gin style is recommended for an Aviation?
London Dry gin with prominent juniper and floral botanical notes (such as Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, or Beefeater) complements the floral violette and cherry-almond maraschino. Some bartenders use Old Tom gin for its slightly rounder sweetness. Strongly citrus-forward or maritime gins can overpower the delicate violet note. The choice of gin significantly affects the final aromatic profile.