THE MIX MASTERS

1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   Itinerary   |   Home

THE ENTREPRENEUR
Ryan Magarian

Ryan Magarian sees distology as the natural next step for expert bartenders who may not want to spend their careers stuck behind the swizzle stick. His motive is simple: better booze. Magarian, a Portland-based bar consultant, recently partnered with Christian Krogstad and Lee Medoff
of House Spirits, a boutique distillery, to make Aviation gin. It’s telling that the gin is named after one of the very best, and least known, gin cocktails; it was built with mixology in mind. Magarian sees bartender-guided spirits as the way forward: a rye crafted for mixing the perfect Manhattan, or perhaps a rum tweaked for building flawless mojitos. With Aviation, they wanted to create a gin that was not only great for mixing, but also that felt like it was grown in their backyard. “People connect with vintage cocktails because they have the weight of history, a permanence,” Magarian explains. “A crafted cocktail is an experience.”

Write to us: letters@enroutemag.net

Itinerary

1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   Itinerary   |   Home