Flying High

Aviation American Gin named after the preprohibition cocktail created by well-known bartender Hugo Ensslin in the early 1900s.

- Jason Fleetwood

Renowned as the brand that catalysed the global craft spirit revolution and invigorated the gin category, Aviation American Gin is handcrafted in small 100case batches at the House Spirits Distillery in Portland, Oregon, USA and part-owned by popular Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds.

Back in 2006, American bartender Ryan Magarian got together with pioneer distiller Christian Krogstad to produce a more democratic gin that is smooth enough to enjoy neat but which works as a perfectly-balanced base for cocktails. And so a new era began.

Breaking away from the British tradition of the London Dry in which Juniper is the leading flavour profile, the New Western Dry Gins – of which Aviation was the first – bring botanicals to the fore. What’s more, the break from tradition has created space for other distillers following in Aviation Gin’s wake to play with new and different ingredients, thus setting the scene for the craft gin explosion.