The Aviation is a refined pre-Prohibition cocktail combining gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette. Its pale sky-blue tone and floral aromatics make it one of the most elegant classics in the gin family.
Shake gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette with ice. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with one maraschino cherry.
Serve in a chilled martini glass with a pale violet-blue hue and one maraschino cherry. The Aviation should look delicate and sky-toned, with Crème de Violette adding color without overpowering the gin and lemon structure.
Pair it with shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon bites, citrus starters, goat cheese, light canapes, or almond biscuits. Gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, Crème de Violette, and cherry work best with delicate food and floral-citrus flavors.
Developed in the early 1900s, the Aviation originally featured Crème de Violette, which gave the drink its signature sky-like color. The classic version regained popularity as that ingredient returned to modern cocktail bars.
Best for upscale aperitifs, cocktail bar nights, classic gin menus, and moments where a drink should feel refined, floral, and visually distinctive.
Gin brings botanicals, lemon juice adds crisp acidity, maraschino liqueur gives cherry-almond sweetness, Crème de Violette adds floral aroma, and the maraschino cherry reinforces the finish. The profile should be tart, aromatic, and elegant.
Floral, crisp, elegant, pale, and classic.
Use less Crème de Violette for a paler Aviation, or slightly more lemon juice when the liqueurs make the drink too soft. Keep the gin, lemon, maraschino, and violet balance precise.
25%
⚠️ Alcoholic beverage: not suitable for minors, pregnant individuals, or designated drivers. Please enjoy responsibly.
Start from the ingredient that shapes this recipe before moving into broader style, method or glassware lists.
Same ingredient inside the Classic style.
Follow the same category, preparation method or glassware logic to compare drinks that behave like Aviation in a specific way.
These routes use ingredient pairs that actually appear in Aviation and group cocktails with the same pairing logic.
Cocktails where Gin and Maraschino Liqueur appear together in the recipe structure.
Cocktails where Lemon Juice and Ice appear together in the recipe structure.
Cocktails where Gin and Ice appear together in the recipe structure.
Aviation sits around 25% ABV. Use these routes to compare drinks with a similar drinking weight, then narrow them by style, method or glass.
Cocktails in the Classic category with 25–32% ABV.
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