Aviation

The Aviation cocktail is a pre-Prohibition classic that first took flight in the early 20th century—1916, to be exact—when it was published in Recipes for Mixed Drinks by New York bartender Hugo Ensslin of the Hotel Wallick.

The original Aviation recipe called for: Gin, Lemon juice, Maraschino liqueur, Crème de violette

That last ingredient, crème de violette, is what gives the Aviation its sky-hued name—a delicate floral liqueur that tints the drink a pale, cloudy blue, reminiscent of early morning skies over Manhattan (or, at least, how they were imagined from a barstool).

But during Prohibition and the decades following, crème de violette became difficult to find in the U.S., and the cocktail was often made without it. As a result, what many people knew as an “Aviation” was really a pale cousin—just gin, lemon, and maraschino—decent, but not the full altitude experience.

Fortunately, crème de violette made a comeback in the early 2000s, and the classic Aviation was restored to its former glory, earning renewed admiration from craft cocktail enthusiasts and purple-hued Instagram feeds alike.

So today’s Aviation is both a revival and a tribute—a floral, tart, and lightly sweet drink that’s equal parts history lesson and high-flying sophistication.