We all know that a celebrity-backed spirits brand can be a lucrative venture for the star behind it, but can the promotional value outweigh the financial reward? Ryan Reynolds is putting this theory to the test, because his Aviation Gin brand just announced the launch of six new limited-edition bottles that will drop early this summer to coincide with his new film, Deadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine arrives in theaters on July 26, giving viewers another chance to dive into what is probably the best version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe based on the graphic violence and belly laughs contained in the first two Deadpool films. In a statement, Reynolds claims to have discovered Aviation Gin during the shooting of the first movie, which came out in 2016. “Back then Aviation wasn’t big enough to tie in to a big summer movie and Deadpool was lucky to get any sponsors at all,” he said. “A few hundred weeks and drinks later, here we are! They grow up so quickly, don’t they?” These new bottles also cap a few years of tongue-in-cheek banter between Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, who stars as Wolverine in the new film, who have engaged in a faux Twitter war and filmed some promotional videos together.
Aviation Gin was founded in 2006 by Christian Krogstad and Ryan Magarian, who have both since moved on to other endeavors (in 2022 Krogstad left Westward Whiskey, which he cofounded and served as master distiller for, and launched Four Corners American Gin a year later). Davos Brands acquired House Spirits Distillery, the company founded by Krogstad that produced Aviation Gin, in 2016, and Reynolds acquired a minority stake in the brand in 2018. This proved to be extremely fortuitous, because Diageo purchased the brand in 2020 in a deal worth more than $600 million. Granted that’s not Clooney-Casamigios numbers, but it’s not a bad chunk of change.
The gin in these new promotional bottles is the same Aviation Gin that you know and, perhaps, love. It’s produced at a new distillery which opened in Portland, Oregon in 2022, where a botanical blend of cardamom, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, orange peel, and of course juniper is macerated in neutral grain spirit for 18 hours before distillation. But the packaging, designed by Maximum Effort and Sandstrom Partners, is really the draw here—each black bottle has a different label with a unique Deadpool icon, perfect for Marvel collectors. “Our collaboration with Deadpool & Wolverine to create this series of bottles is a first-of-its-kind promotion for Aviation American Gin with one of the most iconic characters in pop culture history,” said Ricky Collett, global and U.S. brand director for Aviation American Gin at Diageo. “The custom bottle embodies the irreverent spirit of both brands and showcases our commitment to pushing cultural boundaries and redefining the gin drinking experience.”
Marvel and gin fans will have to wait until this summer to get their hands on one of these new bottles, but in the meantime you can find the classic Aviation Gin available to purchase from websites like ReserveBar.
