The Aviation Cocktail: History of a Great Classic

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

The name "Aviation" refers to aviation, a burgeoning field at the time that fascinated people with the progress of aeronautics. The cocktail is also sometimes called "Blue Moon" due to its blue hue, which is achieved by adding crème de violette.

Hugo Ensslin's original recipe included gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur (cherry liqueur), and crème de violette. However, crème de violette was no longer produced in the 1960s, and the recipe was modified 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 renewed interest in classic cocktails, and crème de violette is now being produced again. Bartenders have thus been able to return to the original "Aviation" cocktail recipe with its beautiful blue color and unique taste.

Our Recipe 

Recipe

Place ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake, and serve without ice

- 4cl Panda Gin

- 3cl Violet liqueur

- 3cl Lillet Blanc

- 2 drops orange bitters

- 2cl lime juice

Garnish

Cherry skewer

Discover the Panda Aviation recipe

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