A good cocktail can make you feel sort of special when you’re sipping it—an icy, perfectly balanced concoction served up in a frosty little glass. I especially love the Prohibition era drinks because so many of them feature gin, which just happens to be one of my favorites. For Christmas, I received a lovely book from Karan our BSC graphics wiz, called Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh. I highly recommend it for not only the adventuresome recipes but also for its highly entertaining history of cocktails.
The cocktail recipe I’m sharing with you today, however, is not from the aforementioned book. The first time I had the Aviation it was at the Swing Bar in Olympia and I thought it was the most perfect jewel of a drink I had ever had. They make the earlier version of it, containing Crème de Violette, and my cocktail book has the later version, which did away with that particular liqueur in the mix. The Crème de Violette gives it a beautiful pale sky blue color and I love the floral note. So here it is, in all of its glory. Please note that Maraschino liqueur tastes nothing like the bright red “fruit” you buy in a jar. Also, buying two special liqueurs can be expensive, but the bottles are very pretty for display in a liqueur cabinet and they last forever. That is, unless you like this drink a lot!
Aviation Cocktail
1½ ounces good quality gin
½ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce Crème de violette or Crème Yvette
½ ounce Maraschino liqueur
Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and long, and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry. Makes one cocktail. Note: I usually make two at a time.
Kitchen with a View 
Sounds like a great drink. The crème liqueurs, are they just added in the magnitude of a splash or a teaspoon?
Oops! The Creme de Violette is ¼ ounce, in other words, a splash!