New York, United States · 1916

Aviation

Also known as Aviator

A pale blue, floral gin sour that tastes like drinking a violet garden with a tart lemon edge.

floralsourginmaraschinovioletcitrusbotanicaltartclassic

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is tart and floral, with the lemon juice and crème de violette hitting right away. The middle brings out the gin's botanicals and the nutty cherry notes from the maraschino liqueur. It finishes dry and slightly tart, leaving a lingering floral perfume.

Who will like it

For people who like tart, floral, spirit-forward drinks with a subtle bitter-almond edge.

When to drink

Drink this as a pre-dinner aperitif when you want something crisp and aromatic to wake up your palate.

Ordering tip

Ask your bartender if they use crème de violette, since the IBA spec omits it, and the violet is what gives the drink its signature color and flavor.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $3–$6Glass: CoupeBatch-friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a tart, floral drink that leans heavily on the interplay between sharp lemon and sweet violet. The gin provides a sturdy, botanical backbone, while the maraschino adds a strange, nutty cherry depth in the background. It drinks light and crisp but leaves a lingering perfume on your palate.

Finish: The finish is dry and tart, with floral violet and gin botanicals lingering long after the sip.

Primary tastes

floralsourherbal

Secondary

fruitynutty

Aroma

violetcherrycitrusjuniper

Bitternesslow bitterness
The maraschino adds a faint almond-like bite, but there's no real bitterness here.
Sweetnessbalanced sweetness
The maraschino and violette add sugar, but the lemon and dry gin keep it in check.
Sournessmoderately tart
Fresh lemon juice gives it a sharp, mouth-watering tartness that leads the drink.
Strengthmoderately strong
It's mostly gin, so it carries a solid alcoholic warmth beneath the juice and sugar.
Refreshingfairly refreshing
Shaking with citrus and serving ice-cold makes this a crisp, thirst-quenching sip.
Creaminesslight body
The shake gives it a slight texture from the air and ice shards, but it drinks clean and light.
Complexityfairly complex
The mix of gin botanicals, floral violette, and nutty maraschino creates a lot of shifting layers.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended for a crisp, botanical backbone

Before you start

Put your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. Make sure your lemon juice is freshly squeezed, as the bottled stuff tastes flat.

Ingredients

GinBase SpiritLondon Dry recommended for a crisp, botanical backbone45ml
Maraschino LiqueurLiqueurAdds a dry, nutty cherry flavor; Luxardo is the standard15ml
Crème de VioletteLiqueurProvides the signature pale blue color and floral aroma7.5ml
Lemon JuiceJuiceMust be freshly squeezed15ml
Maraschino CherryGarnishLuxardo or other natural brand, not neon red1 cherry

Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To chill, dilute, and combine the ingredients with citrus juice
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the ingredients accurately, especially the small amount of violette
At home: Measuring spoons
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice while pouring the drink
At home: A slotted spoon
Fine Mesh Strainer · Straining
To catch small ice shards and lemon pulp for a smooth drink
At home: A small wire kitchen strainer
Coupe Glass · Serving
To serve the drink chilled without ice

Steps

1
Add 45ml of gin, 15ml of maraschino liqueur, 7.5ml of crème de violette, and 15ml of fresh lemon juice to your shaker. The order doesn't matter as long as your measurements are right.
!Pouring too much crème de violette will make the drink taste like soap instead of flowers.
2
Fill the shaker about two-thirds full with ice, seal it tight, and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds. You'll know you're done when the outside of the shaker feels freezing cold and frost starts forming on the metal.
~12s
!Shaking too gently leaves the drink warm and doesn't properly integrate the thick liqueurs.
3
Pop the shaker open and pour the drink through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer into your chilled coupe glass. Double straining catches the tiny ice shards and lemon pulp so the drink feels smooth.
!Skipping the fine strainer leaves floating pulp and ice chips in the drink.
4
Drop a single maraschino cherry into the bottom of the glass. Let it sink on its own without muddling or crushing it against the side.
!Using neon grocery store cherries adds an artificial red dye flavor to the drink.

Serve

Serve immediately in the chilled coupe glass while it is icy cold. The drink should be a pale, cloudy sky-blue.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Crème de Violette

Crème de VioletteParfait Amour
Match
Specialty availability
Crème de Violette → Parfait Amour: Adds floral notes but brings in orange and spice flavors, changing the color to purple.

Swap options for Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino LiqueurCherry Heering
Match
Specialty availability
Maraschino Liqueur → Cherry Heering: Makes the drink sweeter and richer with a heavier, spiced cherry flavor instead of dry and nutty.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Last Word

The Last Word uses green Chartreuse and lime instead of crème de violette and lemon.

Match

The Last Word is punchier and more herbal, while the Aviation is softer and more floral.

In common: Equal parts structure, Uses maraschino liqueur, Sour style, Shaken and served up

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Aviation

Crème de Violette, Lemon Juice

Only in Last Word

Green Chartreuse, Lime Juice

Swapping violet and lemon for Chartreuse and lime takes the drink from floral and soft to herbal and sharp.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Dry cherry nuttiness from the maraschino, Botanical gin backbone, Tart citrus balance

How Last Word differs

Herbal and sharper, Less floral, Greener flavor

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Blue Moon

The Blue Moon omits maraschino liqueur and uses an egg white for texture.

Match

The Blue Moon is a softer, fluffier drink that focuses purely on the violet and lemon without the maraschino's depth.

In common: Uses crème de violette, Floral profile, Gin sour structure

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Crème de Violette, Lemon Juice

Only in Aviation

Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Blue Moon

Egg White

The Blue Moon drops the nutty cherry liqueur and adds egg white, making it simpler but creamier.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Violet floral aroma, Tart lemon bite, Gin botanicals

How Blue Moon differs

Creamier texture, Less complex flavor, Missing the cherry note

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, published the first known recipe in his 1916 book 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks'. The original called for crème de violette, which gave the drink its sky-blue color, though the IBA later omitted it.

Creator: Hugo Ensslin
Era: 1910s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA Contemporary Classics (without violette)
Confidence

The IBA spec omits crème de violette, but the historical pre-prohibition recipe includes it, which is the standard for modern craft bartending.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Use a light hand with the crème de violette or it will taste like soap.
Shake hard to get a good chill and a little dilution to tame the tartness.
Luxardo cherries are the right garnish, not the neon red ones.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't skip the double strain, or you'll get floating pulp.
Don't over-pour the maraschino, it can easily dominate the drink.