Cocktail of the Month: March 2023

The original Aviation cocktail was first published in Hugo R. Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks and made great use of Alps produced liqueur Crème de Violette, the colour of which is alluded to in the drink’s very name.

Harry Craddock later printed the recipe in his 1930 publication, Savoy Cocktail Book. Harry’s recipe was a somewhat corrupt take on the drink, as he omitted the Crème de Violette – most likely due to its scarcity in Europe and America (the drink eventually disappeared from the American market altogether in the 1960s). The absence of the liqueur meant that for the next forty or so years the Aviation was served without one of its central (original) ingredients.

In fact, it wasn’t until 2007 that it was brought back into the American market and even now cocktail connoisseurs debate over whether violet has any place in the drink.

Catford Gin and its base notes of citrus make it the perfect gin for an aviation - give it a shot and let us know how you find it!

Ingredients:
50 ml Catford Gin
15 ml Maraschino liqueur
15 ml Creme de Violette
15 ml Fresh lemon juice

Method:
1. Pour the ingredients into an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake.

2. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

3. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy!