Aviation Gin was founded in 2006 by two fellow gin fanatics Christian Krogstad and Ryan Magarian in Portland, Oregon. It is still distilled there to this day. However the distillery is a little larger today than it was then! It is only the second time we have brought back a gin a second time to Gin Box subscribers, as we featured Aviation gin in the early days of the Gin Box.

This is no ordinary gin. It is a gin that is distilled in small individual batches botanical by botanical. There are seven botanicals which are all steeped in grain spirit for 48 hours before the distillation takes place. It is an expensive way to make gin but the delicacy, flavour profile and aromas prove the effort is worth the reward.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine awarded Aviation Gin a 97 point rating in 2012, the highest rating the magazine has ever given to any gin.

The Gin was purchased in 2016 by US actor Ryan Reynolds, who declared it ‘the best gin on the planet’, smoother than any gin he had ever tried before. It is not as juniper forward as other gins, – instead it uses the juniper spice in more of a supporting role, whilst the other botanicals shine through, creating texture and richness to bring a really distinctive Aviation taste. He retains an ownership interest in the brand, but worldwide interest caught the attention of drinks magnate Diageo and in 2020 he sold much of the company to them. It was in his view, one of the easiest ways to get the gin to a wider audience around the globe.

We’ve included some light tonic water from Franklin and Sons along with American pretzels and lemon in your Gin Box this month. To get the most out of Aviation gin, keep it simple. Our recommendation below is to add lime or cucumber. However, you could sweeten it up a little without it being too much, by adding a twist of lemon (a little twisted slice of lemon peel, dropped into the glass).

If you’re feeling adventurous the Aviation Gin website has lots of cocktail recipes for you to try, so visit aviationgin.com/cocktails.