Ginebra Aviation (USA)

When House Spirits Distillery in Portland, Oregon, wanted to make their own gin, they set out to do things differently. Instead of following the traditional path for product development, they decided to do things completely differently.

House Spirits Distillery brought in Ryan Magarian, who at the time was one of Portland’s top bartenders. They worked together to develop a new style of gin that wasn’t as juniper forward and could be a star player in a whole new range of cocktails.

After months of development and having key bartenders and misologists taste the various proposed botanical mix, they set on a unique blend of flavors which would later be classified under the heading “New Western Dry Gin.” These new flavours include star anise, cardamom, and sarsaparilla.

To bring this product to market, House Spirits Distillery created a roving mixology tour, entitled “Recession Proof Mixology,” that travelled throughout Portland and set up shop for an evening to deliver affordable cocktails featuring their spirits, including Aviation.

These roving mixology nights were an enormous hit, exposing people to a style of gin that they were unfamiliar with. Often it exposed people who didn’t drink gin or didn’t think they liked gin to Aviation.

Also, from the Recession Proof Mixologists came a wide range of cocktails showcasing Aviation Gin. One of the best is a riff on the classic Gimlet with fresh lime and clover honey called The Business.

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