Bar Necessities
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The Unforgettables IBA Official IBA

Aviation

Violet citrus skies

Glass Cocktail glass
Method Shaken
Garnish Maraschino Cherry

A pale violet beauty with a floral backbone from crème de violette and a bright citrus snap. The maraschino liqueur adds subtle sweetness that keeps the botanicals aloft.

Ingredients

Method

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at Hotel Wallick, NYC, and documented in his 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks — gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette. Per IBA (The Unforgettables list); Difford's Guide #127. Notes: crème de violette is the defining ingredient yielding the pale violet hue; Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book published a violette-less variant that dominated mid-20th century practice, but the original violet-inclusive formula is canonical.

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