A friend recently mentioned that his favorite cocktail was the aviation, a sweet-and-sour gin and maraschino cocktail he’d had once — apparently expertly made — at a bar. In fact, he was so smitten with this drink, he’d asked the bartender for the recipe. He then dutifully hunted down the ingredients and tried his hand at the mixology. He’s been disappointed every time.

How hard could it be? Apparently, quite. Like my friend, I was unable to source one of the key ingredients — creme de violette. It’s pretty much what it sounds like, a purple liqueur that tastes and smells of violets. It lends a floral aroma and sweetness to the aviation, as well as a distinctive blue hue.

So I decided to improvise, aiming to retain the floral tones, as well as the lemony sweet-and-sour notes. I substituted a combination of elderflower liqueur and ginger liqueur, which gave my cocktail a refreshing snap. I ditched the notion of trying to replicate the blue haze that colors the real deal.

The resulting cocktail — which I dubbed “the layover” — was just as refreshing as the original, minus the fussy ingredient.

The Layover

• 2 ounces gin
• 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
• 1/4 ounce elderflower liqueur
• 1/4 ounce ginger liqueur
• 1/4 ounce lemon juice
• Fresh mint, to garnish

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake 20 seconds, then strain into a tumbler with ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serves 1.