DeadpoolandFree Guystar Ryan Reynolds sold his Aviation Gin brand to multinational beverage alcohol company Diageo. Under the terms of the agreement, the deal could be worth as much as $610 million depending on sales.
Founded in 2006 by Christian Krogstad and Ryan Magarian, Aviation American Gin was sold to Davos Brands by the gin’s producer, House Spirits Distillery, in 2016. Reynolds purchased a stake in the brand from Davos in February 2018 and has been an active promoter of the brand ever since, eveninserting the gin into a sequencefrom his 2010 thrillerBuried.
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Now, Diageo has acquired the gin brand in a deal that includes an upfront payment of $335 million and the possibility of an additional $275 million based on the performance of the gin over a 10-year period. In an official statement on the deal, Reynolds said, “A little over two years ago, I became an owner of Aviation Gin because I love the taste of Aviation more than any other spirit. What I didn’t expect was the sheer creative joy learning a new industry would bring. Growing the brand with my company, Maximum Effort Marketing, has been among the most fulfilling projects I’ve ever been involved with. I want to thank Diageo for their incredible team and passion. We’re so excited for the next chapter of Aviation Gin, which, I promise, will require just as little reading.“TheDeadpoolstarwill retain an “ongoing ownership stake” in the gin brand, according to Diago, which also acquired Astral Tequila, Sombra Mezcal, and TYKU Sake from Davos.
American Aviation Gin is far from Reynolds' only business venture in recent years. In 2019, theDeadpoolstar bought an ownership stake in Mint Mobile and recentlylaunched a free new streaming serviceas part of the mobile wireless provider’s marketing campaign, although it only featured one movie: Reynolds' 2003 action comedyFoolproof.
Reynolds has also been involved in a number of philanthropic activities in recent months. In addition to joining AbleGamers to help gamers with disabilities, helaunched a self-funded diversity initiative designedto create more opportunities for people of color by providing paid work experience on the sets of his upcoming films. The initiative is reportedly hoping for its first project to be Reynolds' untitled time-travel film with director Shawn Levy, which is scheduled to begin production this fall depending on the situation with the coronavirus pandemic.
Of course, fans of Reynolds' comedic stylings will be glad to know that it isn’t all business for Reynolds in the upcoming months. The Canadian-born actor will next be seen in the video game comedy filmFree Guy.
Free Guywill be released in theaters on July 04, 2025.
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