Aviation Cocktail (1916)

INGREDIENTS:
two-thirds gin
one-thirdl lemon juice
2 dashes maraschino liqueur

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

Serve in cocktail glass

History

The Bar:
Hotel Wallick in NY

The Aviation was created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York City, in 1916. The first published recipe for the drink appeared in Ensslin's 1916 "Recipes for Mixed Drinks". Ensslin's recipe called for 1 1/2 oz El Bart gin, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 2 dashes maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes creme de violette, a violet liqueur which gives the cocktail a pail sky-blue color

Harry Craddock's influential "Savoy Cocktail Book" (1930) omitted the creme de violette, calling for a mixture of two-thirds dry gin, one-third lemon juice, and two dashes of maraschino. Many later bartenders have followed Craddock's lead, leaving out the difficult-to-find violet liqueur.

Creme Yvette, a violet liqueur made with additional spices, can be substituted in versions that call for creme de Violette.