Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 9
Diageo Closes 33,000-Square-Foot Aviation Gin Distillery After $610 Million Brand Deal
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 9

Diageo Closes 33,000-Square-Foot Aviation Gin Distillery After $610 Million Brand Deal

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 9

Summary

  • Portland’s Aviation American Gin distillery and visitor center has shut, ending operations at the nearly 33,000-square-foot site that opened in September 2022.
  • Diageo said the closure reflects changing business needs and a production shift already underway in 2025 to improve efficiency and strengthen its North American operations.
  • The company said Aviation Gin will remain in its portfolio despite the shutdown, while production moves to other facilities.
  • Ryan Reynolds, who bought a stake in 2018, still lists himself as an owner; Diageo acquired the brand in 2020 in a deal valued at up to $610 million.

Insights

Ryan Reynolds built Aviation Gin into a $610M brand. Why did its new owner just shutter its flagship distillery?
With its Portland birthplace gone, can Aviation Gin's 'craft' soul survive inside a global spirits empire?