Aviation Cocktail History and Recipes

The history of the Aviation cocktail goes back to the early 20th century when this mix of gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette was invented in New York.

Who Invented the Aviation Cocktail?

The Aviation Gin Cocktail was invented by German-born Hugo Ensslin, who was the head bartender at the Hotel Wallick, which stood on New York’s Times Square. The recipe was included in his book, Recipes for Mixed Drinks, which was published in 1916.

Original Aviation Cocktail Recipe

Ensslin’s original recipe was this:

1.5 oz. El Bart gin,
0.75 oz. lemon juice
2 dashes maraschino liqueur
2 dashes crème de violette

The recipe was adapted slightly in 1930 by Harry Craddock, whose Savoy Cocktail Book recipe for the Aviation left out the hard-to-obtain crème de violette (some people say he simply forgot it), though he otherwise used the same ratio for the ingredients as Ensslin’s original. It was the crème de violette, however, which provided the purple-blue color that gave the cocktail its name, so purists will want to track some down.

Variations on the Aviation Cocktail Recipe

However, cocktail recipes do evolve and adapt over time, so there’s no need to be nit-picking. Some people find both Ensslin’s and Craddock’s recipes too sour, so they up the gin and/or reduce the lemon juice.

If you include the crème de violette but omit the maraschino liqueur then you’ve made not an Aviation but a Blue Moon gin cocktail, which dates back to the 1940s. Many drinkers find the crème de violette taste far too floral, and one bartender has described the Aviation as being like liquid hand soap.

Aviation Gin

Aviation Gin, which came out of Portland, Oregon in 2006, takes its name from the cocktail, which was very fashionable at the time. It’s as good a gin as any to make the cocktail with, and Aviation Gin’s own Aviation recipe sticks to the original, with the crème de violette, but cuts the sourness a little by adding some simple syrup and reducing the lemon juice.