The story of Aviation Gin begins in summer, 2005 at a small party in West Seattle where bartender Ryan Magarian is handed a complex summer botanical infusion by a friend from Portland, Oregon. Finding it unlike anything he had ever tasted, he quickly seeks out its maker, Portlands House Spirits Distillery. Recognizing a common interest in spirit, cocktail, and food interactions, the distillers at House Spirits share with Ryan their idea for a renegade regional gin style. In June of 2006 after nearly 30 rounds of trialsa Aviation Gin takes wing. Many believe this to be the first brand partnership between distiller and bartender in American history.