Our Chef de Bar and mixologist, Gates Otsuji, shares the stories behind our new favorite summer cocktails at Top of The Standard. Episode one: the Aviation.
"The Aviation dates to 1916, and the classic recipe yields a blue cocktail that is somewhat sweet and perfumey. I love the drink and it has such an inspiring name, which recalls a magical, optimistic time in American culture when the future was full of possibilities. Our recipe pulls back sharply on the Maraschino and Crème de Violette to lighten the texture, and also uses clarified lemon juice instead of fresh, which focuses the acidity."
"It tastes like that first perfect day of spring when the breeze is warm and you can see forever."
"We've also replaced the traditional cherry garnish with a wide grapefruit twist to compliment the citrus notes of Tanqueray Ten gin and mimic the shape of an airplane propeller. The result is a bright, citrusy cocktail that pours a pale powdery blue out of the shaker, but then the "clouds" part to reveal a crystal clear liquid. It tastes like that first perfect day of spring when the breeze is warm and you can see forever; like when you were a kid, enjoying your first popsicle of the season."
The Top of The Standard
Open every day of the summer at 4pm for sunset service
