Inspired by the great Ruhlman I decided to mix up The Aviation after a wonderful dinner at home. I loved this cocktail, perfect mix between the sour lemon juice, the vegetable notes from the gin and the sweetness of the Luxardo Maraschino liqueur. I omitted the Creme de Violette so it was actually a Modern The Aviation.
Ingredients for two Martini glasses:
120 ml gin (I used Hendrick’s)
30 ml Luxardo Maraschino
30 ml lemon juice (about 2 small lemons)
How to make it:
Fill your Martini glasses with ice. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice as well and add the spirits and lemon juice.
Shake well and strain into the glasses (discard the ice in the glasses first). Garnish with a bit of lemon peel if you want.
UPDATE:
Since this post I also tried Modern The Aviation with Plymouth London Dry Gin. Personally I think Hendrick’s Gin makes a smoother Aviation less heavy on the typical gin flavours. Some people would say the total opposite though, that the smooth subtle flavors of the Hendrick’s get lost in a cocktail like this. It doesn’t really make sense that Hendrick’s would work in a The Aviation since the makers of Hendrick’s themselves advocate using a slice of cucumber for a Hendrick’s G&T instead of the ubiquitous wedge of lime but there you go.
In the end it’s like so many things in life – totally up to personal preference. When I get a bottle of Tanqueray No 10 I will try the Aviation again with this gin.
