Cocktails: The Aviation c/o Barcelona's Gretchen Thomas
Gretchen Thomas is the Wine & Spirits Director for the Barcelona Restaurant Group.The classic cocktail revitalization is supercharged right now. San Francisco, New Orleans and Manhattan can take credit for getting that ball rolling, and the rest of the US...well we are a little behind as expected, but people are taking notice more and more. Why did the classics ever die out? In my opinion (strong emphasis on opinion), most of the classic drinks are whiskey or gin based, and Americans got sick of those flavors, turned to flavorless spirits, and they have been in fashion until recently. Now, vintage is back!
My new favorite vintage drink is the Aviation. I’ve seen this one pop up at mixology bars pretty often, but when I see the ingredients, my initial thought was, “bleh.” The Aviation is a martini made up of gin, violet liqueur, maraschino liqueur and lemon juice. I know, sounds strange, but delightfully, the flavors match up so well. The gin offers up the herbal touch, the violet liqueur gives color and a floral note, the marschino sweetens a bit to tone down the gin (sort of working like a clear red vermouth) and the lemon freshens the whole package. Its a refreshing martini that sits right on the edge of being sweet, but not nearly as sweet as many common fruit based “tinis.”
Did I mention, I have searched out the absolute best spirits for this drink? Luxardo maraschino liqueur is a classic and a must ingredient in the Aviation. The violet liqueur was the challenge, as many are made with artificial flavors and colorings. Anna Lisa (Opici Wines) introduced the Tempis Fugit liqueur to me and I was immediately sold; it is only made from violets, so the color is pale purple and the flavor is much cleaner and less viscous. As for the gin, I’ve chosen Ransom Old Tom, a very rare barrel aged gin from Oregon, that has a slightly pink color from ageing in old Pinot Noir barrels. Its incredibly unique and adds great complexity to this new favorite.
The Aviation Cocktail Recipe
1/2 ounce Tempus Fugit Liqueur de Violettes
[Photograph courtesy of Gourmet.com]
Cocktails, Entertaining
Reader Comments (5)
Old Tom gin really takes this cocktail to another level. Might I suggest Rothman & Winter's Creme de Violette and Hayman's Old Tom Gin, both available from importer Haus Alpenz (generally available via special order through a decent liquor shop).
It's a great looking cocktail -- called Aviationn because the violette hue evokes the metalic color of airplane skin circa the '30's. I made it for some pilot friends last winter and they loved it, especially the kewl look. n.b. I was able to get all the liquors from International Wine Shop in Westport, but call ahead if they have to order. Usually a day or so turn around.
@Lou It's a small world. International Wine Shop in Westport hooked us up with it too--they still have some Creme de Violette on the shelf in fact! They'll order nearly anything for a customer and have it quick. I bet you were the first one to order it... thanks Lou!
One of the best cocktails I've had in awhile. I'm not a martini drinker but this could change that. Gretchen really nailed this one.
I hope other restaurants in the area read this article and upgrade their "bar program" and spend as much time crafting a great cocktail to go along with or before my meal, as they do in the kitchen with my food, so i can safely order a "real" cocktail...
do away with the "tini" list and bottled sour mix and bring back the classics, real lemons, real limes, quality spirits (dont always have to be the priceiest), simple syrup, and true measurements...learn when to shake and when to stir, use that bottle of bitters, get more bitters in fact, dont be afraid of vermouth in my martini (2:1 in fact for me!)...the information is out there, plenty of great sites and blogs from which to learn!
we have been recreating classics at home now for the last 10 years, and am always excited to find a restautant/bar that does and to chat with a bartender who has the passion for his/her customers to craft a fine beverage...