Gin, maraschino, crème de violette, and lemon — the pale-purple cocktail from 1916.
The Aviation was created by Hugo Ensslin at the Hotel Wallick in New York around 1916. The original recipe appeared in his 1916 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks' — but the drink disappeared for decades because crème de violette became nearly impossible to find outside Europe.
The cocktail renaissance of the 2000s brought it back when Haus Alpenz began importing Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette to the US in 2007. Without the violette, the drink works but loses its signature colour — some bartenders omit it for a drier, cleaner Aviation, but the purple hue is half the appeal.
Omit the crème de violette for a cleaner, drier cocktail. Use 1 oz Luxardo Maraschino instead of ½ oz to compensate for the missing sweetness.
Add ¼ oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur alongside or instead of the violette. Floral and lighter in colour.
Increase lemon to 1 oz for a more citrus-forward version. The extra tartness balances the sweetness better for those who find the original too sweet.