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Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers.
More This site contains affiliate links from which we may earn a commission.The Aviation was very much a gateway cocktail for me. Years ago when I began diving into the world of pre-Prohibition and craft cocktails, it was one of the first that piqued my interest. Between the use of crème de violette – a liqueur I’d not heard of before then – and it’s otherworldly blue hue, I was intrigued.
Aviation
2 oz. gin
.75 oz. lemon juice
.5 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
.25 oz. crème de violette
Combine the gin, lemon juice, maraschino, and crème de violette in a mixing glass. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.
The Aviation was first created by Hugo Ensslin, the head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York City, and published in his 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks. in 1930, Harry Craddock included the drink in his extremely influential Savoy Cocktail Book, though he omitted the crème de violette. Nobody really knows why. Maybe it was because it was too hard to find. As you might expect, some contemporary cocktail purists, taking Craddock’s book as a bible of sorts, continue to leave it out. I think it’s the ingredient that makes the drink, however, both in color and taste. And since it’s widely available at most well-stocked liquor stores these days, worthy of inclusion.
| PHOTOGRAPHY | by Rob McIver Photo
Like the Bee’s Knees, the type of gin you use makes a big difference in the taste of this drink. The sweetness of the crème de violette pairs best with a London dry, in my opinion. Though if you’re in the purist camp and want to leave that out, you might choose something a little more botanical.
Thanks for reading.
Stylishly Yours,
Brian
He Spoke Style
Brian Sacawa
Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers. Since 2013, his goal has remained the same: to provide men the advice and inspiration they need to dress well, develop their personal style, and gain more confidence. Brian’s interest and passion for men’s style and luxury watches has led to his writing for The Robb Report, The Rake, and Sotheby’s and he has been quoted on menswear in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Today.com, Brides Magazine, and the Huffington Post. He lives in the woods north of Baltimore with his wife, Robin, kitties Nick and Nora, and German Shepherd/Collie mix Charlie.
