Gin Club Quarter 1 2025: Junipero Smoked Rosemary Gin

Junipero Smoked Rosemary Gin

Origin: San Francisco, CA

Anchor Distilling was founded in 1993 by Fritz Maytag and was located inside of Anchor Brewing on Potrero Hill. The distillery operated alongside the brewery for 24 years before the brewery and Anchor intellectual property was bought by Sapporo in 2017. Anchor Distilling remained independent and changed its name to Hotaling & Co., a name that reflects San Francisco’s whiskey history. Named after Anson Parsons Hotaling, himself a significant figure in San Francisco’s history of spirit production, distilling, warehousing and distribution. In 2020, the Hotaling distillery moved from its original location on Potrero Hill to Pier 50, a move that allowed the distillers of Junipero and Old Potrero to continue operating and innovating.

Hotaling & Co. has been innovating with spirits since 1993 with the release of Old Potrero Rye whiskey. In 1996, the distilling team turned its sights on gin development and released Junipero Gin. With 12 classic, dry gin ingredients, Junipero was the first pot-distilled gin in the US since prohibition. Sitting at 98.6 proof and unfiltered, Junipero was designed to be used in a martini while maintaining the high quality Hotaling is known for. In 2024, Junipero Smoked Rosemary was released as the first line extension from the Junipero brand. Using some new distilling techniques, the distillers at Hotaling have created a gin that is as bold as the original, but introduces a relatively new flavor concept to the gin category: smoke. Using a custom blend of lapsang tea, which imparts a loud whisper of smoke into the gin, the distillers add rosemary and a variant of the classic Junipero recipe directly into the still. The result is Junipero Smoked Rosemary. 

-information courtesy of Hotaling & Co.

Head Distiller: Kevin Aslan

Price: $36.99

Botanicals:

Fresh rosemary, Lapsang souchong tea, Juniper, Angelica root, bitter orange peel, orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom, cassia bark, orris root, Grains of Paradise, cubeb, coriander

Tasting Notes:

Aroma: A strong Juniper core supported by a soft campfire smoke.

Palate: A big structure with juniper and bright citrus notes at the forefront that opens up to reveal a beautiful balance of soft smokey herbal complexity on the finish.