The Aviation Cocktail

Aviation Cocktail - original watercolor by The Cocktail Artist
We purchased a set of Nick and Nora glasses as Christmas gift this past year, and before we gave them away we memorialized them in this painting. For those of you who aren't fans of Turner Classic Movies, Nick and Nora are the witty couple, played by William Powell and Myrna Loy, who drink cocktails and solve crimes in the "Thin Man" movies (which premiered between 1934 and 1937). Nick and Nora glasses are tulip shaped and hold a relatively small cocktail - probably because Nick and Nora never stopped at one! It's worth your time to take a look at this YouTube video of Nick and Nora's Alcohol Moments - or, better yet, mix up some cocktails and get on Netflix and stream the Thin Man movies.

The Aviation Cocktail is a classic 1930's gin cocktail that has a lovely lavender sky color thanks to creme de violette.  We tried a couple of different creme de violetts (yes several trips to the liquor store!)  We liked the flavor of the classic Yvette - but the color of the Rothman & Winter creme de violette was a nicer hue.  Maybe the drink needs a bit of both.... so in the end we increased the amount of creme de violette a bit (from the classic recipe) and used almost equal amounts of Creme Yvette (which has a pink tone) and Rothman and Winter (which is an indigo color). We didn't stop there when it came to the appearance of this cocktail. In order to make the drink less cloudy, we filtered the lemon juice to eliminate the pulp - we are artists after all!

Cheers!

The Aviation Cocktail and Lavender Sky - original watercolor painting by the Cocktail Artists

Aviation Cocktail

2 oz. gin
scant 1/2 oz. creme de violett/creme Yvette
1/2 oz. maraschino liquor
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice (strained to eliminate pulp)

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake for 30 seconds and strain into a Nick and Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist (or a blackberry).


Creme Yvette has a pink hue and Creme de Violette is indigo. By mixing both you can achieve just the right shade of lavender for the Aviation Cocktail.


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