Your guide to Anchor Distillery’s spirits

The distillery’s best-seller, this spicy, crisp spirit is made in the London dry gin style and incorporates a dozen botanicals. Since the gin isn’t chill-filtered, those flavors—particularly that of the juniper berries and a spicy hint of coriander—shine through.

Tasting notes: Juniper berries, Angelica root, citrus, cassius bark, lemon peel, orange peel

Cocktail tips: A classic gin martini (2.5oz gin, .5oz dry vermouth, shaken over ice and strained) or a Vesper, which incorporates gin (2oz), vodka (.5oz), and Lillet (.25oz), strained over ice. Both are best garnished with a burnt lemon peel (trust us) to tease out subtle citrus flavors. 

One needn’t be a gin drinker to down a tumbler of Anchor’s Old Tom Gin—the lightly sweetened flavor makes it dangerously sippable. But though it’s the newest of the distillery’s releases, the Old Tom style of gin dates back to the 19th century. The spirit is pot-distilled with juniper berries and 13 other botanicals. (That alluringly sweet note comes from a modern-day touch—stevia.) You can certainly mix martinis with Old Tom, but we reccommend gravitating toward cocktails that blend sweet and spicy elements—like grapefruit juice or ginger beer—which are complemented by the licorice tinge of the gin.

Tasting notes: Star anise, licorice

Cocktail tips: A Martinez, made with Old Tom Gin (2oz), sweet vermouth (.75oz), maraschino liqueur (.25oz) and two dashes of orange bitters. Want something a little fancier? Stir up the 19th Century, made with Old Tom Gin (2oz), aperol (1oz), grapefruit juice (1oz), a splash of ginger beer and a dash of saffron bitters, served on the rocks.

Hophead may be an acquired taste, but it’s beloved by beer lovers and cocktail enthusiasts alike. Let’s be clear: this isn’t some flavorless, odorless vodka. It’s a spirit that packs a punch. Introduced in 2012, it was the first hop vodka on the market. As opposed to modern infused vodkas, Hophead Vodka is re-distilled with two types of dried hops from Washington State’s Yakima Valley directly in the copper pot still. You’ll notice the distinctive flavor (and scent) of hops, without a bitter after-taste—which makes it ideal for a Bloody Mary.

Tasting notes: Hops, citrus, pine

Cocktail tips: A Moscow Mule, incorporating Hophead Vodka (2oz), The King’s Ginger liqueur (.5oz), lime juice (.75oz) and a splash of ginger beer; a Dark and Stormy (the same recipe coupled with dark rum and a dash of bitters); or a Bloody Mary, made with tomato or vegetable juice (3oz), Hophead Vodka (1oz), lemon juice (.5oz), and hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, salt and pepper, to taste. 

This Genever-style of gin comes from the 17th century in the Netherlands, where it was also known as “Geneva gin,” or “Hollands gin.” (“Genever" translates to juniper in Dutch.) The Genevieve base is a grain mash of wheat, barley and rye malts, which are distilled with the same dozen botanicals as Junipero Gin. Those botanicals are added during the second distillation. Since it shares many of the flavor profiles as a whiskey, it’s commonly sipped straight or on the rocks. (There’s also a subtle agave note that tends to appeal to tequila lovers.) But since it’s not barrel-aged, the spirit remains crystal clear.

Tasting notes: Juniper berries, malted barley, rye, citrus

Cocktail tips: A sazerac, made with Genevieve Gin (2oz), simple syrup (1tsp), a couple dashes Peychaud’s bitters and a lemon peel garnish. Give the glass an absinthe rinse before serving to counteract the sweetness. 

Anchor Distilling Company’s founder, booze pioneer Fritz Maytag, was known for creating purposely unpopular spirits—those unlike anything else available. He and his fellow brewers first started experimenting with rye whiskey on the sly in 1993, when they christened themselves the “water committee”—their cover was that they were merely sampling water for beer, rather than finessing pure alcohol. The resulting 18th Century Whiskey was the first craft American whiskey since Prohibition. The whiskey is aged 13 to 27 months in lightly-toasted American oak barrels, giving it a softer, smoother finish than its counterpart, Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey.

Tasting notes: Caramel, vanilla, pepper, smoke

Cocktail tips: An old-fashioned, made with Old Potrero 18th Century Whiskey (2oz), two dashes Angostura bitters, simple syrup (1tsp) and a brandied maraschino cherry. Garnish with an orange peel.

Whereas Anchor’s 18th Century Whiskey is aged up to two years in lightly toasted barrels, the Straight Rye Whiskey is aged for four to six years in charred American oak barrels, lending its distinctive smoky, toffee flavor and spicy finish. The rye whiskey is made from a mash of 100 percent rye malt, an age-old recipe developed by America’s first distillers.

Tasting notes: Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, maple

Cocktail tips: A Manhattan, made with Old Potrero Straight Rye (2oz), sweet vermouth (1oz), two dashes of Angostura bitters and garnished with a maraschino cherry or two.