At a party in Seattle in 2005, bartender Ryan Magarian was introduced to "summer gin" by a friend from Portland. Struck by the subtlety of gin with less juniper, he recognized it as a movement away from traditional gin. Ryan had a growing interest in classic, pre-Prohibition cocktails, where the spirit is central and never masked, and this gin had the potential to be the perfect complement. He set off for Portland to meet the distiller.
Equally passionate about his craft, Christian Krogstad founded a craft distillery in Portland, Oregon. With a pioneering spirit, Christian had set out to recreate a uniquely American Gin. But American gins disappeared with Prohibition, so no one knew exactly what they tasted like.
Without a precise flight plan, the first bartender/distiller partnership took off. Through repeated trial and experimentation with 7 botanicals, Ryan and Christian finally landed on a democratic blend with juniper in the background. Like all successful partnerships, none is overpowering or masking, but each plays a part in bringing out the best in all. Aviation, a gin created to be so balanced and smooth, it can complement any cocktail or even fly solo.
Every bottle of Aviation Gin is handcrafted in small 100-case batches by a small, dedicated team of master distillers in Portland, Oregon.
Like the world's finest gins, Aviation is distilled using a proprietary maceration process that produces a pure medley of botanical flavor.
2 oz Aviation American Gin
1 oz Freshly Pressed Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Soda Water
2 oz Aviation American Gin
1 oz Freshly Pressed Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Soda Water
Back then, sugar and flavorings were added to mask impurities. It's still made that way today.
But here at Aviation, we have our own way of doing things. Aviation Old Tom is aged for one year in used whiskey barrels made from American White Oak. The aging process brings out the democratic blend of botanicals so this Old Tom mixes like a gin and drinks neat like a whiskey.
Nothing added, everything gained.
