501 Westport Road | 816-561-3950
The Aviation cocktail has been around for almost 100 years. Its ingredients are simple: gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur and — if you can find it — crème de violette. Harry's version is served without the last ingredient, replaced with a splash of Gruet Brut, a full-bodied sparkling wine. This gives the cloudy drink, served in a martini glass with a lemon twist, a crisp complexity best enjoyed slowly. These babies are smooth and solid. Order one while watching the unruliness at the intersection of Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, and know you're in control. Go easy, though. Don't let your ego write checks that your tolerance for gin mixed with wine can't cash.
