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Culinary Inspiration From Actor Ryan Reynolds
I can’t help laughing every time I see Ryan Reynolds. He’s one of the funniest men in Hollywood, not an over-the-top comedian, but with a sly and goofy wit, befitting his Canadian roots. He’s also become an avid investor, from technology to sports.
One of Ryan’s best-known investments is Aviation Gin. Four years ago, he bought a chunk of the Portland, Oregon spirits maker after tasting the gin on location in Vancouver. Using the proceeds from his appearance in Dead Pool, Ryan made a series of comical ads to give Aviation some visibility, and the brand took off. In 2020, Aviation was sold for $610 million (Ryan maintains an ownership stake).
He wasn’t the first Hollywood star to invest in a drinks company — George Clooney preceded him with Casamigos tequila, and The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, got into the tequila business two years ago with Teramana.
But for Ryan, entrepreneurship is a serious business. This week, Ryan talked with the Washington Post about the motivation behind his Aviation investment. It struck me that his approach could be inspiring across the culinary world, and beyond.
A one-word philosophy
With such a varied portfolio, you might wonder what his investments have in common. Ryan had a two word answer: storytelling.
“Whether it’s the unexpected nature of sports, low-cost wireless, gin – the connective tissue is story telling, the same as with movies,” Ryan explained.
That echoed something that chef Rick Bayless told me. In Satisfaction Guaranteed, Rick said he admires Zingerman’s because its staff constantly engages in storytelling with customers. “You learn about the products, and the dishes, and the traditions” something he tries to do in his restaurants, Rick said.
Ryan’s love of storytelling showed up in the quirky online ads he made for Aviation Gin after he purchased a stake in the company in 2018. Without a real marketing budget, Ryan threw the ads together with very few resources, only his sense of creativity.
“I love constraint. I love doing more with less. It forces your imagination to expand,” he said. “There’s so much story to tell when you are forced to do more with less.”
He’s even produced this wacky safety video/ad for British Airways to show its passengers, who can choose Aviation Gin on board their flights.
Beneath the fun, a serious approach
While Ryan may be best known for his comedies, he’s made some serious pictures, too, and he takes his investments extremely seriously.
“I have skin in the game for these,” he said. “I’m obviously using my own (celebrity) currency and buying part of these companies using my own money.” That is what sets his ventures apart from instances in which an actor is hired to be a mouthpiece for a brand. “Audiences can see when you’re just cashing their check,” he says.
One of Ryan’s first jobs growing up in Canada was stocking shelves in a grocery store, and he is interested in every aspect of the companies in which he invests.
“Everything I’m involved in, I’m redlining the engine in terms of passion. Do I have the passion and drive to tell this story? How much of it resonates with me personally?” he said.
“There isn’t a crystal ball or a Magic 8 Ball that I look into.” As for how the deals fit in with his professional and personal life, he replied, “You will find time. If you’re fired up about something, you’ll find time and do it.”
How can you be like him?
Ryan made a smart choice with Aviation. Two years after his investment, the company was sold for $610 million to Diageo, the multi-national British beverage company with operations in 180 countries and a vast stable of liquor brands. It paid $1 billion for George Clooney’s Casamigos in 2018.
Asked what kind of advice he’d give anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur, Ryan pointed to Steven Spielberg. He began shooting home movies with his family’s movie camera, and by the time he was 12, he had filmed a movie from a script with an entire amateur cast.
“Before he became Steven Spielberg, he was doing it. He was driven by passion and love and the success or money that came afterward all came after” those early efforts, Ryan said.
I’ve met so many people in culinary who fell in love with food while cooking at home, and who’ve translated that passion into business success. Ryan undoubtedly cheering them on — and who knows, perhaps investing someday.
Vish Bhatt’s Cookbook Is About To Be Big
Vishwesh Bhatt’s cookbook officially goes on sale Aug. 16. But already, I Am From Here is getting the kind of attention that authors can only dream about receiving.
NPR included it on a list of the year’s best cookbooks thus far, even though it actually has not been published yet. Garden & Gun has the book on its summer reading list, and his peanut and watermelon chaat was featured in a roundup from Food & Wine.
I profiled Vish for Forbes.com in 2019 when he won the James Beard Award as Best Chef-South for Snackbar, his Oxford, Mississippi restaurant, The acclaim came after he was nominated six previous times. He’s become one of my favorite culinary figures, and we finally got to meet in April while I was on my road trip to New Orleans.
Vish will be doing a series of events to promote his cookbook. Sign up for his newsletter to be notified for dates and locations.
What I’ve Been Writing — and Saying
One thing I noticed when I moved to New Orleans was just how fast ice melts here. I was constantly asking bartenders and servers for a glass of ice so that I could re-chill my beverages. I learned that a glass of ice water turned tepid by the middle of the night. And even ice cubes on their own melted faster than I’d ever experienced.
I wondered why this was happening, and it resulted in this story for The Takeout. Yes, it’s not only the heat, it’s also the humidity.
You may know that my brother and I are trying to sell our mother’s beautiful condo in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We put it on the market one week before the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in May (there was a second increase last week). The market we expected to compete in has vanished.
I spoke about this with Marketplace on public radio. Rest assured that we are doing everything we can to find a buyer — we have a great realtor, we’ve lowered the price and we’ve spiffed it up with new paint and a deep cleaning. If you’re moving to Ann Arbor or know someone who plans to do so, please ask them to take a look.
When I was cleaning out my mother’s papers, I discovered a plethora of souvenirs from her days as an active member of the Michigan Republican Party. She had letters from George Romney, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, along with inaugural ball invitations, tickets, pamphlets. stickers and buttons (remember Whip Inflation Now?)
Things are far different in Michigan these days, as I wrote for the Washington Post. If you’re following the state’s primary on Tuesday, you’ll get some background in my column.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
I’ve put a full slate of my 2022-23 book events up on my website MichelineMaynard.com. They’ll kick off Sept. 18, when I speak to the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor, Mich. Please take a look and I’d love to meet you if I am in your city. There are also a series of virtual events. Details will be posted throughout the next few months, so please keep checking back.
Get in touch with me at culinarywoman at gmail dot com to book an event, or if you’d like a signed bookplate for your copy of Satisfaction Guaranteed.
I’m so excited at the new readers who have signed up for the CulinaryWoman Newsletter. Feel free to share this issue with your friends and colleague, and think about a paid subscription.
Finally, my birthday is this Friday, Aug. 5. In lieu of presents, I am asking my friends to donate to World Central Kitchen. They are a remarkable organization feeding people in need, whether in Ukraine, Afghanistan, or in flooded areas of Missouri and Kentucky. I thank you very much for supporting them.
Covid cases are skyrocketing around the country — Washtenaw County has moved into the high risk category. Please get your booster if you qualify, and be careful. See you next week!
Early happy birthday wishes, Micki!