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Cocktail Moment: The Aviation

A cocktail the color of the sky to bid farewell to the end of an airline

Rachel Maddow marks the very last scheduled flight for US Air after 76 years of operation before the company is merged into American Airlines.

And so, as a final, fond sendoff, here's how to make the Aviation cocktail:

Based on the show script

The ingredients you need are:

  • Gin
  • Fresh lemon (please, fresh lemon)
  • Maraschino -- which looks like it's hard to find but it's not really, it's around, you just have to check the Old Ladies Put This On Their Fruit Salad section of the liquor store.
  • And then Creme de Violette, which actually is hard to find, but it will also be in the old lady section, usually.

And here's what to do with them:

  • 2 oz gin
  • ¾ oz lemon juice (again, fresh, please)
  • ½ oz maraschino
  • 1 barspoon of the creme de violette
  • Shake!!
  • Strain into glass

And, if it all went well, the Aviation looks like the pale, pale blue of the sky at high altitude.