Day 1 of the 30 for 30---> The Aviation

Classic Cars, Classic Music, Vintage clothes and appliances... Everyone loves them. Kinda gives you a glimpse into the past, and also lets you know how up to date items were derived.

So why not Cocktails?? Classic cocktails are making a huge comeback all around the country and Craft Bartenders are putting their own spins on these. So let me digress.. Ive been a bartender for a long time, and honestly(and I hate to say this) only in the last couple years Ive began to really discover, taste, and make the Classics. But in order to know where you are headed, you need to know where you came from.

So after some great advice I received from a fellow bartender( Thanks Josh, follow my boy and mixologist Josh Pearson on twitter @josh_pearson) Ive shifted my focus in this industry to the classics.. So for the next 30 days from the Turkey day all the way to Christmas day I will give you a classic cocktail, a little history, recipe and prep...

So what better way to start than with the time tested, excellent classic the "Aviation".

The Aviation
2 shots gin
1/2 shot lemon juice
Dash Maraschino
Dash Crème de Violette
Shake well with ice and fine strain in to a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.


The Aviation was was created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in NYC(my favorite city in the world) in the early twentieth century. The first published recipe for the drink appeared in Ensslin's 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks. Ensslin's recipe called for El Bart gin, lemon juice, maraschino, and crème de violette, a violet liqueur which gives the cocktail a pale sky-blue color. Upon some more research of this fine cocktail, I found that its also considered a variation of the Gin Sour and using the Maraschino as a sweetener.

Now I'm in the lab, and since I don't have any El Bart, I'm making my Aviation with 1st Tanqueray 10, and another with Hendrick's. The Tanqueray 10 really mixes well  and to me is the premier Gin in the industry today. Unfortunately I don't have any Creme de Violette, so I was unable to get the full experience today, but this is what i came up with in the lab....

So now my first 30 for 30 is done, I want to tell everyone to enjoy your Holiday! Eat Drink and be Merry! And hey while you at it, have yourself an Aviation!!!

Until next time..
Mr.Mixologist