McRibs have become a seasonal favorite at the fast food empire of McDonald’s. I don’t know what it is about that rib-shaped pork patty dipped in barbecue sauce and topped with pickles and onions that makes the sandwich so good, but let’s just say I’ve been known to indulge when that time of year is upon us. And with winter just around the corner, that time is now! The McRib is back, and Ryan Reynolds is joining in on the celebration, with a horrifying yet curiosity-piquing advertisement for Aviation Gin, of which he is an owner.
In the ad, which Ryan Reynolds shared on Twitter, the actor concocts a drink with his gin to “McProve” that gin and barbecue sauce go together. The Gin Riblet is garnished with onion and pickle, because of course. And while we’re shouting out our favorite things about McDonald’s, Reynolds slipped in a demand for the resurgence of one classic favorite character.
Bring back Grimace, Goddamnit.
Grimace is the apple-bottomed purple creature of McDonald’s lore who joined Ronald McDonald’s often-creepy crew back in the 1970s and was spotted in commercials until around 2012. Since then Grimace has retreated from public life, though he did make an appearance in the 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which we all deserved after the year that was. Take a look at Ryan Reynolds in action with his Aviation Gin Riblet:
I have to admit, for as much as I do enjoy a McRib sandwich, a Bloody Mary isn’t my thing. But looking at the ingredients, this maybe kinda looks like a legit drink option? If you can get past drinking barbecue sauce, you’re golden. Or maybe we should chalk that up to the hypnotic selling power of Ryan Reynolds.
The proportions of tomato juice to barbecue sauce that Ryan Reynolds used reminded me a little of one of Monica Gellar’s “mockolate” recipes from Friends, which used infinitesimal amounts of the chocolate substitute to hide the product’s taste and texture, but I’m sure a little barbecue sauce goes a long way when you’re ... trying to drink it.
When he’s not peddling fast-food-inspired alcoholic beverages (and I’d honestly be interested in seeing more things in this milieu), Ryan Reynolds has had an incredibly busy year. The Deadpool actor enjoyed the success of his movies Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and Free Guy. He also recently wrapped on the holiday comedy Spirited, in which he stars opposite his new friend Will Ferrell.
While the actor has a number of upcoming projects on the horizon, he recently announced that's he's taking a much-deserved sabbatical — a decision that Ryan Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively pounced on to troll her husband.
That means fans will be waiting awhile for Deadpool 3, but we should all be thankful and supportive of people knowing their limits and prioritizing their mental health. In May of this year, Ryan Reynolds opened up about his mental health struggles, revealing that anxiety plays into his tendency to stay so busy. He also said he believes it's important to be an example for his and Lively’s children, as well as the next generation on how to deals with your emotions.
So here’s hoping Ryan Reynolds can kick back and sip a nice Gin Riblet with his family. And can someone please get this man his goddamn Grimace?
