STAR POWER

Exploring celebrity partnerships in gin

In August 2020, Canadian-American actor and film director Ryan Reynolds announced the sale of Aviation American Gin, the brand of which he was a co-owner. Launched in Oregon in 2006 by craft distilling outfit House Spirits, Aviation had already played a significant part in boosting the popularity of craft gin in the US before Deadpool star Reynolds acquired a major stake in the brand in early 2018.

Reynolds’ support led to a meteoric surge in sales, and it wasn’t long before drinks conglomerate Diageo came knocking with a buyout offer. Diageo eventually bought Aviation Gin, along with a few other drinks owned by its parent company Davos Brands, for a reported US$610 million. Reynolds reportedly retained an ‘ownership stake’ in the brand and has continued to act as an ambassador, including starring in numerous spoofy marketing videos. Just six months after the sale, when Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney confirmed their purchase of the struggling Wrexham Association Football Club, Aviation Gin was named an official partner; limitededition ‘ Wrexham AFC’ bottles of Aviation and branded team kit have followed.

While he may be one of the most famous, A-lister Reynolds is certainly not the only celebrity figure to have taken an interest in the world’s favourite juniper spirit. While these partnerships vary in depth, one cannot blame public figures for wanting to take a dive into a spirits category which, despite the naysayers, is still globally on the up – and nor can one deny the commercial and marketing benefit of being associated with a household name.

In the UK, the charge seems to have been led not by movie stars, but by celebrity chefs. Since 2020, gin brands have been launched by chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White (Mr White’s Gin), Michelinstarred chef and TV personality Gordon

Ramsay (Six Rivers Gin, in partnership with Eden Mill in St Andrews, Scotland), fellow chef-turned-TV presenter James Martin (James Martin’s Gin), and Michel Roux Jr. (La Gavroche Gin, developed with Nelson’s Distillery and named in honour of his family’s Michelin-starred London restaurant). Salcombe Distilling Co. in Devon has also partnered with chefs including Paul Ainsworth and Monica Galetti for its Voyager series of limitededition experimental gins.

A notable outsider from this gastronomic crowd – but one who is arguably more involved in the development and growth of his brand – is James May. Best known as a co-presenter of motoring shows

Top Gear and The Grand Tour alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, May is the proud co-owner of the James May Gin brand, whose expressions so far include the intriguingly named Asian Parsnip and American Mustard. His efforts earned him the title of brand ambassador of the year in the 2023 Icons of Gin competition, proving that such celebrity partnerships can run deeper than a measure of gin in a glass.

Two more global figures have recently attached their names to gin brands. Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt teamed up with former Tanqueray master distiller Tom Nichol to produce The Gardener Gin, which was inspired by the French Riviera and debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in May. In the same month, Emma Watson – who rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series – launched Renais Gin with her brother Alex; the siblings say they wanted their gin to capture the essence of the wine-making region of Chablis, where their family owns a vineyard.

“...Celebrity partnerships can run deeper than a measure of gin in a glass”

While more celebrities are making a play in the spirits world, savvy brands know that such a partnership has to be more than skin deep to chime with today’s consumers, who seem to prize authenticity above most other qualities. Gin brands who make the right connection – for the right reasons – could rise as high and shine as bright as the stars backing them.