According to the stories, Hugo R. Ensslins, the former head bartender of the Wallick Hotel in New York, created this classic in 1916. In addition to the conventional gin sour, he added crème de violette and maraschino, and the aviation was born. In reference to aviation, which emerged at about the same time and its sky-like color, the cocktail was christened Aviation (English for aviation).
Due to the composition of a basic spirit, an addition of citrus as well as a part of sugar, this drink belongs to the category of sours, more precisely to the International Sours. The group of sours is classified into several subgroups. On the one hand, there are the International Sours, which include the New York Sour, New Orleans Sour variants, and on the other hand, the famous Fizz and Collins variants. While New York Sours are distinguished by the addition of red wine, orange liqueur gives the New Orleans Sour its unique flavor. The most famous sours are certainly the Daiquiri, Tommy’s Margarita, Cosmopolitan or the Gin Fizz. One ingredient often found in Sours variations is egg whites. This becomes a creamy liquid when added to the shaker and shaken vigorously, literally crowning the drink.
The base spirit, as already mentioned, is the gin. A London Dry Gin is used here. London stands here not as often assumed for a designation of origin, but for the way in which the gin must be produced. For example, the addition of sugar is recorded by law. No more than 0.5g per liter may be added.
Other types of gin are the Distilled Gin, the Dry Gin and the Sloe Gin. Further distinctions are made according to geographic location. Well-known varieties here are, for example, the Plymouth Gin or the New Western Dry Gin.
The history of gin begins in the 12th century, when Italian monks learned the art of distilling spirits and began to use alcohol as a base for medicine they developed. Many of these medicines were based on the healing properties of juniper berry. This already shows the flavoring of alcohol with juniper berries.

But the real success story began in the 15th century with Dr. Franciscus Sylvius de la Boe, who combined alcohol with juniper berries to cure kidney ailments and tropical fever suffered by Dutch settlers in the Dutch East Indies. He called his invention “Genievre”, the French word for “juniper”.

It wasn’t long before gin was able to overcome the counter of the pharmacy and conquer a permanent place on the bar tables – and as a drink at that. In addition, the name was shortened to “Genever” or “Jenever”. The British troops, who fought in Holland in the 17th century, took the “Genever” with them to England and simply called the drink “Gin”.

In the 18th century, taxes were raised on all imported spirits and taxes were lowered on domestic spirits. More and more distilleries produced in backyards and only a few produced a high quality gin. This, combined with rampant overconsumption, led to the rise in deaths in London. Between 1729 and 1751, the eight laws (Gin Acts) were finally brought into being. The breakthrough was the law that prohibited distilleries to produce less than 1800 liters of pure alcohol. This paved the way for the brands we know today. Gordon’s began in 1769, Plymouth in 1791, Beefeater in 1820 and Tanqueray in 1830.