Aviation Cocktail

aviation up maraschino cherryI love this gin-based Aviation Cocktail for all it’s refined floral and citrus notes, but picking the right gin is important because of the more subtle ingredients in the cocktail (i.e. the maraschino liquer and the creme de violette). One of the properties that makes gin-based cocktails interesting to me is that gins taste quite differently from brand to brand. Some are more neutral, some are very herbaceous, some are traditional in their juniper notes and some stray very far from that classic taste. They all have their place, but some drinks I’ve very specific about: I really like Hendricks with herbs and a gin and tonic requires Tanqueray to make me really happy. I’m a little more flexible when I make Marc’s favorite drink, the Aviation cocktail. I tend to use Sapphire, but I have liked Beefeater and Plymouth as well. The milky blue color that’s so unique to the Aviation is caused when the crème de violette and the citrus interact. I don’t really know why, but it’s really cool and creates a very unique blueish purple hue. A drink this good requires a really good maraschino cherry as well, so this is another great drink to showcase the Homemade Maraschino cherries I talked you into making. Even if you don’t have fancy cherries lying around, don’t let that dissuade you from making the Aviation Cocktail; if you’re a citrus person, this may just become your favorite.

Aviation Cocktail
Serves 1
Aviation Cocktail is refreshing classic cocktail with gin, creme de violette and maraschino liquer served up or on the rocks.
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Prep Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
167 calories
5 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
83 g
2 g
4 g
0 g
0 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
83g
Servings
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 167
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g
0%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 2mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 5g
2%
Dietary Fiber 0g
1%
Sugars 4g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
0%
Iron
0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
  1. 2 ounces gin (I like Sapphire)
  2. ¾ ounce citrus juice (lemon is the traditional, but I like white grapefruit too)
  3. ½ ounce maraschino liquor
  4. ¼+ ounce crème de violette
  5. homemade Maraschino cherries*
Instructions
  1. To be traditional, pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake well.
  2. Serve up with a Maraschino cherry.
  3. While the drink is very dramatic visually when served up, the Aviation packs a punch and I really like them to be super cold, so I often serve them on the rocks. And that's great too.closeup of aviation on rocks
Notes
  1. *Luxardo's cherries are awesome. Look for them in specialty food and drink shops.
  2. Half lemon and half grapefruit is a nice twist on the recipe for the Aviation Cocktail I've listed below and if you can ever find “cocktail grapefruits,” like I did this December, they’re a great substitution.
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calories
167
fat
0g
protein
0g
carbs
5g
more
Dirty Laundry Kitchen https://www.dirtylaundrykitchen.com/

Comments

Aviation Cocktail — 4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Baked Clams | Dirty Laundry Kitchen

  2. Pingback: Maraschino Cherries | Dirty Laundry Kitchen

  3. Hi there Barrett! I just discovered your blog with this Pinterest tag and I feel like we are spiritual sisters. Your story of youthful dinner parties resonates with me, and your gin preferences referenced in this recipe are dead on! And on top of all that, I am a fellow Philadelphian! I look forward to following you!

    • Hi Denise, I am so glad you found me. It’s funny how much you can learn about someone from how they order a gin-based cocktail. You have to share your Philly secrets with me. I love exploring this city and learning from other urban foragers is my absolute favorite. Thanks for the note!