According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the Aviation cocktail appeared just over 100 years ago as both planes and cocktails were taking flight around the U.S., a blend of gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and creme de violette. While planes continued to rise, Prohibition arrived and "The Great Experiment" changed not only how Americans consumed alcohol (under the radar) but what they were able to consume. This time marked the rise and fall of many cocktails on top of other popular beverages and producers.
The Aviation cocktail didn't go away but it certainly has been very quiet until recently. Soon after its creation, various cocktail books and guides would include it in their repertoire, but creme de violette was omitted. And during that early period, maraschino liqueur and creme de violette weren't necessarily common. With the absence of the creme de violette flavor and sweetness, you were throwing acidic lemon juice on lots of alcohol. Not the most pleasant drink.
Creme de violette basically became extinct about 50 years ago but finally made a comeback to the U.S. about five years ago with Rothman & Winter's brand from Austria's Destillerie Purkhart. What drove the return? The Aviation and a few other select cocktails that call for it like the Blue Moon, which is basically an Aviation without the maraschino liqueur. If you try an Aviation without the creme de violette, you'll quickly understand why it's not been popular until now.
Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette
For Christmas, my sister-in-law Laura gave me a copy of Jim Meehan's The PDT Cocktail Book and bottles of Citadelle Gin and Rothman & Winter's Creme de Violette. Within a day, I combed through the entire book, but I already knew what I'd make with my new liqueur as the Aviation has been a favorite of mine but the availability of Creme de Violette locally has been limited until recently. I followed Meehan's formula, but decided to go with Aviation Gin (how fitting?) from House Spirits in Portland.
Aviation from The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan
2 oz Beefeater Gin
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.50 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
0.25 oz Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette
Shake with ice and strain into chilled coupe
A slightly out of focus Aviation
The few dashes of creme de violette not only creates the balance needed, but offers the most beautiful color for the drink. Local mixologist Cris Dehlavi from M at Miranova thinks of all the senses when making the cocktail. "First of all, it's color is so beautiful. In the bottle, it appears purple, but when added to other things it takes on a blue hue, hence the name of the classic cocktail, The Aviation."
She is also a big fan of Creme Yvette, made of violet petals and four berries from the folks behind St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, as she says it's "very, very lovely and much more like what was used in the original Aviation cocktail."
Visit Cris at M and you can order an Aviation if you don't have everything on hand to make the cocktail. You have to invest in both the maraschino liqueur (Luxardo is the way to go) and creme de violette, but you can make a lot of cocktails with a bottle of each. Here's also a twist on the cocktail that she created last year, the Violet Sour.
Violet Sour by Cris Dehlavi, M at Miranova
1.5 oz Ohio Lavender infused Plymouth Gin
0.5 oz Cointreau
0.25 oz Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Creme de Violette
Shake all ingredients, strain into martini glass. Carefully drip an extra quarter ounce of creme de violette down side of glass so it will settle at the bottom, creating a blue hue. Garnish with edible purple flower.
Dehlavi also likes to make a Champagne cocktail with creme de violette, house-made lavender bitters and brut Champagne. Opportunities are endless. Do you have a favorite cocktail with creme de violette?
