Aviation American Gin

For and by bartenders

Aviation Gin comes in a beautiful bottle reminiscent of the Great Gatsby, the 1920s, and the American Prohibition. The name of this gin is based on the cocktail of the same name, which consists of gin, Maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice, and was invented in 1916 by a bartender at Hotel Wallick in New York.

Because of this simple but flavorful cocktail, co-founder Ryan Magarian realized that gin didn’t just shine in a Gin & Tonic or Martini but had so much more to offer. As a bartender, he sought partners to create a new gin and found them in Lee Medoff and Christian Krogstad. Together, they embarked on an exploration of botanicals, eventually inventing a new category: 'American Dry Gin'. By this, the men intended that the flavor of this gin is less focused on juniper than in a London Dry Gin. Aviation Gin first appeared on the market in 2006.

Ryan Reynolds

Before Ryan Reynolds became involved with Aviation Gin in 2018, the brand was already doing excellently. But a Hollywood star captures the imagination. The attention for Aviation Gin became enormous after Reynolds not only became a co-owner of the brand but also acted as an ambassador. Sales skyrocketed. That didn't go unnoticed by the big beverage companies: less than two years later, Diageo bought Aviation Gin for several hundred million dollars. That's cashing in!

How is Aviation Gin made?

It all starts with a carefully weighed mix of ingredients, consisting of cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper, and two types of orange peel. These are steeped in neutral grain alcohol for 18 hours, allowing the flavors to be extracted from the botanicals. This process is actually similar to making tea.

The resulting mix is called a macerate, which is then pumped together with pure water into a distillation kettle. The alcohol vapors rise and are then condensed again. Of the product that flows out of the kettle, only the middle part (the heart) is collected. This heart has an alcohol strength of more than 70 percent, so it is reduced to 42 percent before bottling. The result is a concentrated, uber-flavorful gin.

Buy Aviation Gin online

Most gin brands have all sorts of different types of gins in their range. But not Aviation Gin. They have so much confidence in their original product that they don't find it necessary at all to produce various expressions. And to be honest, Aviation Gin is simply a great, premium gin. So what are you waiting for?