The Aviation recipe
for your table
Shake all the ingredients for 12 seconds with plenty of ice.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Let a dark cocktail cherry sink to the bottom.
Serve immediately, while the cocktail is still ice-cold and lightly pearlescent.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you would like to add something, we will review it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Aviation recipe to your own email so you have it at hand when you make it. You will also receive a € 5 discount code on purchases from € 50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Bartender Hugo Ensslin of Hotel Wallick in New York published the recipe in 1916, during the glory years of aviation pioneers, hence the name and the sky-blue glow. When Harry Craddock included it in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, he left out the crème de violette; the liqueur was barely available, and generations of bartenders knew only that 'stripped-down' version. It was not until the violette was imported again in 2007 that the Aviation regained its color and cult status.
The right glass
The lilac-gray color of the Aviation is half its magic, so serve it in a crystal-clear stemmed glass. A 22 to 24 cl coupe is ideal: elegant, classic, and with enough reflective surface to let the cherry float at the bottom like a moon in the evening sky. Thin crystal glass completes the picture. Would you like a smaller stemmed glass that is less likely to tip over? Take a look at our Nick & Nora glasses.
RCR Opera Champagne Glass / Coupe 24 cl (6 pieces)
Lehmann Roma Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 112,90.
The right tools
For an Aviation, in addition to the glass, you’ll need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a fine strainer for double straining, a citrus juicer, and cocktail picks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 125,70.
Variations & twists
Without crème de violette, you’re drinking the 1930 Savoy version, sharper and fresher with citrus. A little more maraschino makes it sweeter and more cherry-forward. The Blue Moon, with violet only and no maraschino, is the forgotten cousin that deserves a second chance. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use crème de violette sparingly: one bar spoon adds color and perfume, while two turn it into soapy water. Prefer a sharper profile? Leave out the violet and you have the Savoy version.
Good to know
What does an Aviation taste like?
Expect dry and fresh, not sweet. The first impression is lemon and gin, sharp and bright; underneath, the maraschino emerges with an almond-like cherry flavor that is more reminiscent of stone fruit than syrup. The crème de violette only makes itself known on the finish, as a light violet perfume that some find reminiscent of soap and others of an old perfume bottle. The color is grayish lilac and pearlescent, never bright purple. Those tasting it for the first time usually stumble over that floral finish; those who drink it more often come back precisely for it.
Crème de violette: buying and measuring
In the Netherlands, you can find crème de violette at better liquor stores and online drinks retailers; Rothman and Winter and Giffard are the brands you’ll encounter most often. A 70 cl bottle lasts a long time, since you use only about 0.5 cl, or one bar spoon, per cocktail. That may seem like very little, and it is: with two bar spoons, the cocktail tips into soapy water and the gin disappears completely behind the perfume. Store the bottle in the dark, as the color fades in daylight, and that lilac is half the charm.
The Savoy version without crème de violette
Harry Craddock left out the crème de violette in 1930 from his Savoy Cocktail Book, probably because the liqueur was hardly available at the time. What remains is 4.5 cl gin, 1.5 cl maraschino and 1.5 cl lemon juice, shaken for twelve seconds and double-strained. That version is sharper and fresher with citrus and is much closer to a classic sour. What you lose is the colour: without crème de violette, the cocktail is pale yellow instead of lilac. If you do not have crème de violette at home but still want something floral, half a barspoonful of elderflower liqueur comes fairly close.
Which gin do you choose
A classic London dry is the safest choice here, because the juniper balances two sweet liqueurs. Gins around 44 or 47 percent work better than lighter bottles, because the cocktail is diluted considerably by twelve seconds of shaking with plenty of ice. Avoid modern floral and pink gins: they pile onto the violet and make the whole drink smell perfumed. A gin with some citrus emphasis, for example with pomelo or lemon peel among the botanicals, lifts the lemon. Save your rare craft bottle for drinking neat, because its nuance disappears here.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Aviation cocktail taste like?
The Aviation tastes fresh and tart with a floral finish. Lemon and gin provide the sharpness, maraschino brings cherry-like sweetness, and the crème de violette adds a subtle violet fragrance. The whole drink is dry rather than sweet, with a light pearlescent colour.
What is in an Aviation cocktail?
An Aviation contains 4.5 cl gin, 1.5 cl maraschino liqueur, a barspoonful of crème de violette and 1.5 cl fresh lemon juice, shaken for twelve seconds with plenty of ice and double-strained. A dark cocktail cherry sinks to the bottom as a garnish. Four ingredients, nothing more.
Can an Aviation also be made without crème de violette?
Yes, then you make the Savoy version from 1930: gin, maraschino and lemon juice without crème de violette. It tastes sharper and fresher with citrus, but lacks the signature lilac colour. Add the crème de violette carefully in the original, because two barspoonfuls can quickly turn it into soapy water.
Which glass do you use for an Aviation?
A coupe glass holding 22 to 24 cl is the right choice. The lilac-grey colour is half the charm, so choose crystal-clear, thin-stemmed glass in which the cherry remains visibly suspended at the bottom. See our champagne coupe glasses.
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Glasses in hospitality quality, supplied by the set. Ordered today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →