Flying High

After first having an aviation cocktail at Gracie's Restaurant in Providence I went on a relentless hunt for the ingredients. Although many people said that you don't really need the creme de violette and can make it with just gin, lemon juice, and maraschino liquor, being initially enticed by the pale violet hue of the original drink, I was not about to half-a** it. So after many trials and tribulations I assembled the ingredients and have been taste testing ever since. I have tried all the different proportions of the drink that I could think of and ended up preferring this recipe that results in a tart drink with a distinct maraschino flavor. I have discovered that the flavor that I originally attributed to the creme de violette was actually mostly the maraschino (which is completely different from that of the ubiquitous artificial red orbs), and that adding a ton of creme de violette does not result in a superior drink. While I still love the faint blue tinge of the original drink, it turns out that yes you can make a perfectly serviceable aviation without the creme de violette.

Aviation Cocktail
2 oz Gin (I like more subtle gins in aviations and save the heavy hitters for G&T's)
.5 oz lemon juice
.33 oz (2tsp) Maraschino Liqueur (I have Luxardo and it is great!)

.167oz (1tsp) Creme de Viollete

Shake or stir as is your want (I usually stir heavily or shake lightly), strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.