When I feel the need for a classic cocktail to pair with an iconic fly-by-the-seat of your pants action film, I feel the need for an Aviation.
“Top Gun” was the highest grossing film of 1986, and it helped catapult then 24 year old Tom Cruise to super stardom. While Cruise may have received top billing, the true star of the film was the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. In fact, after the film’s release, applications for Naval Aviation jumped 500 percent.
Thirty-six years later, we’re eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel: Top Gun Maverick. So while counting down the days, we are looking back at the original Top Gun. That’s why this post features an Aviation cocktail.
This pre-prohibition classic was created by Hugo Ensslin and published in 1916 as an ode to the aeronautical industry. A gin-based sour, the Aviation gains cherry 🍒 and nutty notes from the maraschino liqueur and a floral 🌸 taste and purple hue from the crème de violette, a liqueur made from crushed violets. While conventional wisdom says that drinks with citrus should be shaken, I was convinced by @anderserickson to stir my Aviation because it helps maintain a stronger shade of purple. I added salt and a bit of simple syrup per the wisdom of Greg at @how2drink to help balance the cocktail and bring out the flavor.
-----Aviation specs-----
In a mixing glass combine:
1 Pinch salt
1 Bar-spoon simple syrup
0.75 oz. -or- 22 ml. Lemon Juice 🍋
0.5 oz. -or- 15 ml. Maraschino Liqueur
0.25 oz. -or- 8 ml. Creme De Violette from @hausalpenz
2 oz. -or- 60 ml. American Dry Gin from @durhamdistillery
Garnish: Cocktail cherry from @luxardousa
Add ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a cherry at the bottom of the glass.
Do you want to go to the Danger Zone with an Aviation cocktail? Check out our latest YouTube video. Link in the bio!
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