Ryan Reynolds’ new Aviation American Gin Distillery takes flight in Portland

Fans can get a first look of the distillery via a humorous video featuring Reynolds himself, in which he hands out helmets and brooms to guests and promptly puts them to work, admitting that he hopes they know more than his employees by the tour's end. The spot also highlights how Aviation American Gin (which was purchased for $610m by beverage giant Diageo in 2020) distills and crafts its product. A shameless self-promoter, the Deadpool actor has starred in a number of ads for his own brand – including whipping up a ‘vasectomy cocktail’ with Nick Cannon on Father’s Day.

“About three years ago, we set out to create a one-of-a-kind distillery and tasting experience to give people the opportunity to get a look at how we make the world’s greatest spirit - Aviation American Gin, that is,” said Reynolds in a statement shared with The Drum. “If a grown-up theme park and a bartender fell in love and produced offspring, it would be this gin factory.”

Helmed by award-winning industry veteran and distillery director Hollie Stephenson, the distillery will offer educational tours of the distillation and bottling processes at $28 per person and for groups of up to 12, as well as tasting flights and six seasonal draft cocktails that will rotate seasonally: Ryan’s Nitro Negroni, Fizzy Bees Knees, Grapefruit Collins, Aviation G&T, Saturn and the Flora Dora.

Perched on the northwest side of Portland, Oregon, the new 33,000 square-foot facility features a tasting room, draft cocktail bar, gift shop and full access to Reynolds’ office, which doubles as an escape room where guests must solve various puzzles.

Visitors are free to roam the distillery at their leisure and sip on cocktails and tasting flights. A straight tasting of Aviation American Gin will also be available for $5.

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