The "Aviation" cocktail: a classic brought up to date

The History of the "Aviation" Cocktail

The "Aviation" cocktail is a classic cocktail that was created in the early 20th century by a bartender named Hugo Ensslin. Ensslin worked at the Wallick Hotel in New York City and created the cocktail in 1916 for the hotel's cocktail book "Recipes for Mixed Drinks."

The name "Aviation" refers to aviation, which was a booming field at the time and fascinated people with the advances in aeronautics. The cocktail is also called "Blue Moon" because of its blue hue, which is achieved by adding crème de violette.

Hugo Ensslin's original recipe included gin, lemon juice, maraschino (cherry liqueur), and crème de violette. However, crème de violette was no longer produced by the 1960s, and the recipe was changed to include triple sec instead. This led to a version of the cocktail without the characteristic blue hue.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in classic cocktails, and crème de violette is now being produced again. Bartenders have been able to return to the original recipe for the "Aviation" cocktail with its beautiful blue color and unique taste.