It's no secret Blake Lively gets a kick out of trolling her hubby Ryan Reynolds (and vice versa) on social media. But in her new campy, mystery-thriller A Simple Favor, Lively, 31, pays a very sweet tribute to him, in a subtle way.
Her character, a heavy-drinking New York public relations director named Emily Nelson, loves martinis—and constantly downs them in a chilled glass, straight, no ice and with a lemon rind twist.
Her brand of choice? Aviation Gin, a Portland-based company that produces gin with "a democratic blend with juniper in the background," according to the liquor company's website. Oh, and the brand just happens to be owned by Reynolds, who, totally unbiasedly, calls the product "the best gin on the planet."
The Aviation Gin bottle—tall and glass-ribbed with a black label—is used in multiple scenes throughout the film (can you spot it in the picture, below?!), although the brand is never mentioned by name.
A Simple Favor director Paul Feig explained that the decision to use Aviation wasn't just because the company is owned by Reynolds—he liked the look of the bottle onscreen.
"At the time, I was trying to clear another gin, and Blake's like, 'Hey! Ryan's got this gin that he really likes!' She really liked the company and everybody involved," Feig told Cosmopolitan. "And I wouldn't have done it if I didn't like the look of it on the screen, but I really thought the bottle looked fantastic. So I, honestly, didn't even realize the level of involvement that [Ryan] had in it, but I think it's great, because it's a really good gin!"
Reynolds, 41, agrees. He came across Aviation about a year and a half ago in Vancouver, while sipping on a Negroni that used the liquor. In February 2018, he bought the company, joining the ranks of successful celebs who've entered the booze industry, like George Clooney, who recently sold Casamigos tequila for $1 billion, and Drake, who launched Virginia Black Whiskey in 2016.
Lively—who celebrated her sixth wedding anniversary with Reynolds this month, and shares daughters James, 3, and Inez, 1½, with him—has posted multiple Instagram photos promoting A Simple Favor that mention Aviation Gin.
"Dear Nation, Happy Martini Day," she captioned a pic from this summer. "Otherwise known as every f*#%ing day of the week to Emily. @asimplefavor @aviationgin."
The irony of it all? Lively doesn't drink. In a 2015 interview with TIME Magazine, she quipped, "I’d tell you after too many drinks, but I don’t drink."
