Anchor Distilling shares space with Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. David King, the president of AD, found himself surrounded by the intense aroma of hops and began thinking about ways to use the plant in a spirit. After much experimentation, head distiller Bruce Joseph and brewmaster Mark Carpenter came up with Hophead Vodka, using Anchor’s small copper pot stills and two varieties of hops. It smells like a cross between a forest, hoppy beer and resin, and tastes more like gin than vodka, with fl oral and red apple flavors and only a faint hint of sweetness. It’s outstanding in a Martini with dry vermouth (two parts Hophead to one part vermouth) garnished with plenty of green olives.
Spirits Type:
Vodka
ABV:
45%
Producer:
Anchor Distilling Co. San Francisco, CA
Price:
$35/750ml
This story appears in the print issue of Winter 2013.
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