Feeling blue-ish? Time for a classic cocktail, in my opinion. Saturday is the perfect day for mixology experiments while trying not to burn a cake. On Saturdays I usually take up some large baking projects, so why not wash down all that cookie dough with a nice drink or three. The Aviation cocktail is an unforgettable classic. It is a short drink of gin, lemon juice, Maraschino and creme de violette.

The Aviation is a classic gin cocktail dating back to the turn of the 20th century, and it first appeared in Huge Enslinn’s book “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” in 1916 while he was tending bar at New York City’s Hotel Wallick. In the ensuing decades, it was all but forgotten. That’s because one of the drink’s primary ingredients, crème de violette liqueur, disappeared from the market in the 1960s.

In 2007, Minneapolis importer Haus Alpenz began importing Rothman & Winter crème de violette from Austria right at the height of the craft cocktail renaissance. Its newfound availability led to the Aviation reappearing on bar menus all across the American market, as bartenders rediscovered this classic recipe. – LIQUOR . COM Nowadays it is not as hard to come across the coveted liqueur since many produce it. The only problem with creme de violette is that there aren’t many uses for it. So if you are not a short gin cocktail lover, this may not be for you.

The Aviation cocktail itself holds that vintage feeling. It is a drink that many would call “girly”, but the truth be told, it is a very spirit forward cocktail. It is a mean little drink that will kick you under the table if you are not careful enough. This drink is also included in the International Bartenders Association’s list of classic cocktails. That doesn’t necessarily mean that a young bartender should know this drink by heart, but one should know about it.

A classic décor for this cocktail is the Maraschino cherry, but a nice tangy lemon peel is also acceptable. I would go for the lemon peel because in my opinion the drink doesn’t need any more sweetness.