Aviation
Gin, lemon, and a violet sky
About this cocktail
First printed in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks.' Gin, fresh lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and a quarter-ounce of crème de violette that turns the drink the color of a clear sky right before sunset. Crème de violette nearly disappeared from the American market in the second half of the twentieth century, which is why most pre-1990s recipes call only for maraschino. Use violette if you can find it. Combier and Rothman & Winter both make a good one. Because of the fresh lemon juice, this batch is best within a week of making.
Pick a cocktail to batch
Shaken citrus drinks pick up more water from ice. Spirit-forward stirred drinks need less; freezer batches often need none.
Your Batch
Aim for around 22% ABV or higher to keep the batch pourable in the freezer.
Remove this much spirit to make room. Save it for later.
How to serve
Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a brandied cherry; add a lemon twist if you have one.
Best within: 5-7 days; the lemon juice mellows quickly
★ Pro tips
- + Strain the lemon juice through fine mesh before batching. Pulp turns stringy in the freezer
- + Use Luxardo Maraschino. It is the standard against which substitutes are measured
- + Without crème de violette, this is technically called an Aviation No. 2 (just gin, lemon, and maraschino) and still works
- + Make smaller batches more often; the lemon juice peaks in the first 48 hours
! Avoid these
- − Using bottled lemon juice (the freezer makes it taste like cardboard)
- − Heavy-handed crème de violette. A teaspoon too much turns the drink into purple cough syrup
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