The most common type of gin is a style called London Dry gin, typified by brands like Beefeater and Tanqueray. London Dry gin is defined by pronounced juniper flavor and a crisp, dry finish. Within the category, there are differing degrees of balance and flavors, but at the end of the day it’s juniper that’s always the start.

House spirits switching up the game

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.

Making a new type of gin

After months of development and having key bartenders and mixologists 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 flavors 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 traveled 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.

What’s next for Aviation

Aviation built on the success of the local Recession Proof Mixologists to push their product into other key national markets. Ryan Magarian moved from being a bartender to consulting with bars and restaurants on their cocktail programs, and along with him came Aviation. Aviation Gin has found its way to such far away markets as Australia and New Zealand, and ironically, you can now buy this “New Western Dry Gin” in England, home of the very style of spirit which once completely dominated.

The Business

Ingredients:

2 oz. Aviation Gin
1 oz. freshly pressed lime juice
1/2 oz. 2:1 housemade clover honey syrup

Directions:

1) Shake with ice, and serve up with a lime wedge.