So I somehow ended up on the email distribution list for Liquor.com. Not that I am in any way, shape or form complaining about this. Last week, I got an email blast with the following subject line: “Yes, You Can Drink Gin in Winter”.  My initial reaction was one of “Of course. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t drink!” But then I realized, I’ve been sadly neglecting the gin supply in my bar, favoring various bourbons and scotches. So this week, we’re taking a flyer on gin.

The Aviation cocktail is quite refreshing, provided you make it correctly. The recipe below is from “Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails” by Ted Haigh:

2^1/2 ounces (5/8 gill, 7.5 cl) gin

3/4 ounce (1/8 gill, 2cl) fresh lemon juice

2 or 3 dashes maraschino liqueur

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Truth be told, I ended up making this drink three separate times. The first time, I used bottled lemon juice instead of fresh and followed the recipe.  The lemon juice I used was concentrated, so 3/4 of an ounce was way more lemon than needed. That much concentrated lemon juice overpowered the drink. I ended up adding more maraschino liqueur to cut the bitterness. I re-made the drink, using about 1/4 ounce of concentrated lemon juice and it definitely tasted better. The last time I made it, I had a leftover lemon from dinner and was able to follow the recipe verbatim. That was the best version I made. Life lesson: use fresh ingredients whenever you can.

The recipe above is the more common version of the drink. A fourth ingredient which is rarely used in crafting the drink is actually the genesis for the name. Creme Yvette was added to the drink, which when added, gave the drink the color of a clear sky, which is where the name Aviation came from. Without Creme Yvette, the appearance is still sky-esque, it’s just a cloudy day instead of sunny. Either way, this drink is delicious and I plan on making it more often.

Slainte!

(Banner image found here)