Aviation Gin Review | Is It Really The Best Damn Gin On The Planet?
So… Aviation gin- yes the Ryan Reynolds gin- or as i like to call it, Deadpool juice- collaborated with me!
Yep! me, a small creator and gin lover based in Liverpool. I can’t believe it either! This has been one of my biggest collabs so far and I was honoured to have the opportunity to work with them. A big thank you to Adrian, the awesome marketing guy at Aviation for hooking this up and brainstorming some ideas with me for our collab! It’s always nice to work with like-minded, passionate people!
"I've tried every gin on the planet and Aviation is, hands down, the best. Also, I don't recommend trying every gin on the planet. Stick with this one." – Ryan Reynolds, Owner, Aviation American Gin
Aviation gin was co-founded by Christian Krogstad & Ryan Magarian in Portland, Oregon 2006. The ideology of this gin is derived from the pre-prohibition era style of gin. The name Aviation actually came from the last classic cocktail printed before the American prohibition. During the production of this gin, the founders would use the cocktail ‘Aviation’ as a way to taste their gin- using it as a benchmark- thus creating the signature name of this very gin we know today. One day, after filming Deadpool 2 in Vancouver, Ryan Reynolds went to a restaurant and ordered a Negroni- which he commented: “Was the best negroni I’ve ever had in my life!“ It was so good, he went back a few more times before eventually asking the bartender what gin was used in it- introducing Ryan to Aviation Gin. Ryan loved this gin so much he decided to meet with the owners and become an owner himself. Now that’s dedication!
Aviation Gin doesn’t just make an epic gin & tonic- it provides a divergent way of thinking about gin. It aims for gin to be the main focus in cocktails instead of masking it and creates a spirit centred drink that focuses on complimenting the taste not hiding it. I think aviation gin is a perfect spirit for cocktail lovers that actually like to taste their gin while drinking it.
This gin offers a unique take on the tradition juniper-forward gin we are all used to, as it uses the juniper spice as more of a supporting role rather than the star of the concoction. This challenges the consumer’s pallet and allows more experimentation with flavour, notes and expectation of what gin is. It also raises the philosophical question of…
‘What is gin?’
In my opinion, gin isn’t just a drink. It’s an experience. For real gin lovers, you learn to appreciate the flavour profiles in different gins and can identify the prominent notes such as juniper, botanicals and other aromatic spices. What I really notice with Aviation, is that it doesn't rely heavily on juniper to do all the work- it uses an authentic blend of botanicals from around the world to create its original, unmistakable taste. l think the unconventional spices involved such as cardamom, coriander & Indian sarsaparilla work well together and create a really interesting mix of spices. I really love the use of lavender, sweet & bitter orange peel & aniseed in the mid-pallet as it offers a unique approach and provides a nice hint of sweetness, floral and almost liquorice flavour. Although all these ingredients sound like a lot, they all come together very well and complement one another perfectly to create a very smooth, interesting and incredibly drinkable gin.
For me, this gin goes best with a simple tonic to allow the gin to really come through and explore its intricacy. One of my favourite pairings is a classic G&T using Aviation gin & Fever tree original tonic water. This allows Aviation’s unique taste to really shine through using a good, high-quality tonic.
Or if you want to sweeten things up a little, add some lemon to that g&t for a nice citrusy burst of flavour- which aids in accentuating the original notes of aviation itself. Another fave recipe of mine is a lemon G&T with Fever tree elderflower tonic water- this creates a sweet, floral forward version of the classic G&T for the more sweet-toothed gin lovers.
Here’s a fun little tip to make your G&T’s more instagrammable- add a lemon twist by peeling a long strip of lemon peel, twisting it over the glass to express the citrus oils (giving the drink a nice aroma) and shape it to the desired twist. Leave it for a few minutes to mould to the shape and then place on to the rim of the glass for a classy, photogenic look!
There are so many amazing, mouth-watering cocktails to make with this gin that there is a dedicated page on their website to it! Go check out Aviation Gin for all your gin-spiration needs!
Not only is this gin great in these cocktails, but it also makes one hell of a negroni! I think Ryan himself would be proud of my attempt at the classic Italian cocktail. Previously, I’ve never had the pleasure of trying a negroni but I’m so happy I could try it for my first time with Aviation gin. It certainly didn’t disappoint- such a lovely drink!
So, is Aviation the best damn gin on the planet?…
Well, In my opinion... it sure is! There are so many things to love about this gin and the fact that it has Deadpool's- I mean Ryan Reynolds name attached to it as well is a testimony itself of how good it is! Overall, I’d rate this gin 5 out of 5 Deadpools (Stars). There’s nothing I don’t like about it. It goes perfect with any cocktail and makes an unforgettable G&T.
Thanks again to Aviation gin for collaborating with me! It's been so much fun creating this content, shooting and reviewing this incredible gin!
I'd really appreciate it if we could try & get Ryan himself to see this- how cool would that be! That would honestly make my life complete! Please tweet this blog post, tag him, whatever and hopefully he'll see it! Thanks guys!
