Violet flight of fancy

Some time ago I had a very tasty cocktail at the Redhead in New York's Lower East Side. Not only tasty, it was also named after an interest/hobby of mine: it was called the Aviation. With the return of hot weather this summer I took an interest in recreating it, so it was time for research.

It turns out to be a rather famous historic drink dating back to the early twentieth century and the early days of flying. Modern recipes all build on three ingredients: gin, fresh lemon juice, and Maraschino liqueur, in various ratios. The latter item is most definitely not associated with maraschino cherries. Rather, it is a distilled liqueur dating back to the 16th century.  It is clear and made from the fruit, including the pits, of Marasca cherries grown in Dalmatia in Croatia, kind of a cherry-based version of grappa. The pits give it almond overtones.

Finding it locally turned out to be a serious quest. The best known brand is Luxardo, and I finally tracked it down last week. It would appear that I can thank someone named Maria, who related in the comments in this blog post how she persuaded Surdyks, a high-end liquor store just across the river from me, to carry it.

With all the ingredients at hand, I tried several different ratios. I was most pleased with the recipe from The Joy of Mixology, a 4:1:1 ratio of:

2.0 oz gin (Tanqueray in my case)
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz Maraschino

Shake over ice, then pour into a chilled cocktail (martini) glass and savor. Repeat as necessary. The result is dangerously delicious and a close approximation to what I remembered from the Redhead.

Not being one to leave good enough alone I continued to research, however. And it turns out that this modern ingredient list is not complete. The original historic version of the Aviation featured a fourth ingredient, Creme de Violette. This is a liqueur made by macerating violet flowers in grape brandy, sweetened with cane sugar. It carries both the flavor and bouquet of violets and it is a deep purple in color. Creme de Violette was unavailable in the U.S. for decades, which is probably why it disappeared from Aviation recipes.

Well, as you might guess, I tracked down some of this liqueur, an Austrian import from Rothman & Winter. At Surdyks again, no less. And I tried different ratios again. Tonight I must report I have arrived at the true nectar of the gods, using a ratio of 3:1:1:1. That is:

1.5 oz gin
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz Maraschino
0.5 oz Creme de Violette

Again, shake with ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. The result is a pale purple/grey masterpiece which balances the sourness of the lemon juice perfectly and goes down even better than the previous version. Highly recommended.

Comments

[RMA]

A postscript: I have just made one of these jewels with lime juice instead of lemon. Not authentic, but I like it even better. Lime and gin are a traditional combo anyway, and it's less sweet than the lemon version.

[stella]

"Maraschino liqueur... is most definitely not associated with maraschino cherries. Rather, it is a distilled liqueur dating back to the 16th century."
You're wrong.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/MaraschinoCherry.htm

...tells of how the pickled cherries became a popular delicacy but, more from economy than temperance, cherry producers developed a way to brine the fruit without the imported alcohol at all.

[RMA]

Today's maraschino cherries have no connection with the liqueur. What is manufactured and sold today in the United States as a maraschino cherry has almost nothing in common with the original except its name. The cherries are not the Marasca variety, and have most of their flavor and color removed in processing. Your link confirms that.

They are made from very different varieties of cherries than the marasca which is the source of the liqueur and the name. They are a manufactured attempt to make something that looked like the original thing, but even that has gone way off the tracks. The modern maraschino cherry, as your article says, is bleached, dyed, chemically hardened, and soaked in corn syrup.

Insert the word "modern" in the line of mine you quoted to make it more precisely accurate. The point is that Maraschino liqueur has no relation to the modern U.S. product other than the name and a sordid history of plasticizing a natural product which your Oregon industry led. It is certainly the case that the "juice" from a jar of these candied fruits bears no resemblance to the liqueur.

Your Oregon product was required to be labeled "Imitation Maraschino Cherries" for decades. The FDA, in its usual deference to commerce, redefined maraschino cherries in 1940:

The term "Maraschino Cherries" is regarded as the common or usual name of an article consisting of cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor.

(http://tinyurl.com/p9l4jg)

No Marasacas, no alcohol, nothing like the liqueur.

[Dating Rulebook]

The latter item is most definitely not associated with maraschino cherries. Rather, it is a distilled liqueur dating back to the 16th century.